Trade Show badge holder: 2010

I’ve always made my own trade show badge holders. It’s a fun way to liven up my usual uniform of solid color shirts, and it’s a great idea if you’re like me and want more stuff to be able to hang from your neck. I love not having the plain ‘ol badge holder everyone else does. If I wasn’t in such a time crunch I’d show you past ones that I’ve kept. But since the clock is ticking I’ll show you what I whipped up (last week) for CHA:

The black badge holder (in center) is a nice one. I got it from Nancy Nally. It’s just wouldn’t hold my phone, cards, money, gum, and a pen. Yes, I require that much stuff at my fingertips. So I sewed together a piece of white sparkle fabric + aqua felt (both cut with a scallop blade) together on the sides & bottom. You can’t see it – but there is a button + button hole on back side top so I can close it up and my phone & stuff won’t fall out. Then I zig-zag stitched across the two sides of the black badge holder onto my pouch. I sealed the bottom of the badge holder (creating a pocket you can see – with a biz card peeking) by hot gluing the bottom. I didn’t want the big pouch behind to be too shallow.

Yes, if I’d planned better I could have stitched the badge holder to the white fabric and then stitched that to the aqua… but I was making it up as I went along.

I also hot glued all the pearls, buttons, and do-dads onto it. Finally I sewed the white lace ribbon onto the badge holder (adding on buttons and such first) as well as a strand of pearls that will hold it around my neck. I made sure it hit at a flattering spot on my stomach before stitching – and I’m done!