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Home / Craft Projects / How-To: Luggage Accessories Using Recycled Neckties

How-To: Luggage Accessories Using Recycled Neckties

April 18, 2012

It’s no secret- I love recycle/”green” crafts. There’s something about taking something that is headed for the garbage or donation bin and then transforming it into a new, useful or beautiful object. Today’s tutorial is both useful AND  beautiful- we’re going to make luggage handle cozies and tags from old neckties- the wilder the print, the better!

With these colorful accessories, you’ll never wonder, “Is that my luggage?” ever again!  Let’s get to it!

To make one set (a handle cozy and a luggage tag) , you’ll need:

  • one necktie
  • approximately t 6″ if hook-and-loop tape
  • approximately 12″ of ribbon, bias tape, or reflective tape for the luggage tag
  • 1 clear sheet protector or other clear, sewable vinyl
  • Other trims as desired

I found this amazingly colorful tie- SILK, mind you- at the thrift store. It spoke to me, so I bought it. I paid less than $1 for it.

To make the cozy, we’ll cut four 5.5-inch strips from the narrow end:

Stitch them together on your sewing machine by butting the edges together length-wise. I used a fancy stitch on my machine and a contrasting thread- just for fun!

When they are all joined, trim off the raw edges to be flush. It should measure about 4.75 inches.

Next, add some decorative trim- I like ric-rac- but use anything you like to decorate the “top.”

Now to add some hook-and-loop tape, and we’re done! To keep it neat, I sewed on a strip of loop tape flush with one of the raw edges.

Notice that I’m sewing on the “right” or TOP side of the cozy- the side you’ll see.

Next, add the hook part of the tape to the other side. But instead of making the edges even, you’ll overlap the raw edge of the cozy with the edge of the tape by only 1/8 inch. The tape will extend beyond the cozy.

Both parts of tape sewn on- front view.

 

Both parts of tape sewn on- back view. You can see how the hook tape extends over the edge.

Now, to make a nice, pretty finished edge, you wrap the extending tape over to the back side and securely stitch it down.

Now the cozy will wrap around your handle and be secure, with no hook-and-loop tape showing!

TA-DA!

Colorful Recycled Necktie Luggage Handle Cozy!

But we’re only half-way done. Now to whip up a companion luggage tag with the wide part of the tie!

First, cut off about 9 inches worth of necktie.

Next, finish that raw edge with a satin stitch or some fold-over binding.  Along that same edge, create a button hole about 1/2 inch long smack-dab in the middle. Thus:

Yeah, button-hole stitch on my sewing machine!

Then, using your 12 length of ribbon or whatever, make a loop and stitch to the pointed end of the tie. To make the actual window, cut a piece of page protector just a bit larger than a business card. Stitch it down on 3 sides, leaving an opening to slip the business card in. Depending on the tie, you might need to place it horizonatally or vertically. Look at these examples:

Position the card window just below the button hole and stitch along 3 sides.

On this one, the tie was narrow so I place the window in vertically.

And you’re done! To close the tag, slip the loop through the button hole.

Safe and sound.

Back view. Does it need a monogram?

Then just use a Lark’s head knot to attach the tag to your luggage. Fun and functional!

My set- super colorful!

A set for the Mister- one of his ties from his days as a lawyer! Think he’ll recognize it?

Well, there you go. I made both sets in about an hour. Wouldn’t this make a great Father’s Day gift? And I bet Pops has some old ties lying around!

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About Jenny

Chief Craft Test Dummy, Craft Evangelist, Founder, Editor, bottle-washer, trouble-maker, and creative whirlwind.
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Posted in Craft Projects, Fabric Crafts, Father's Day Crafts, Holidays/Themes, Recycled & Green | 6 Comments

Comments

  1. Brandi says

    April 18, 2012 at 06:34

    This is a great idea. My son travels every summer I’m always looking for unusual luggage tags.

  2. Lynda says

    April 18, 2012 at 12:16

    Pretty neat! I have some great ties I bought at the thrift store and have been waiting for just the right project. Thanks.

  3. Zoe @ecothrifty says

    April 21, 2012 at 12:18

    What a great idea! A great gift and a great way to reuse old unwanted ties!

  4. Rachel Sue says

    May 14, 2012 at 23:07

    Love this idea! I would love to feature this on Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle. Feel free to stop by and grab a featured button. Thanks!

  5. Jenny says

    May 15, 2012 at 14:38

    Well, thank you Rachel! I’m glad you like it! If you include a link out, I’ll love you forever! : )

Trackbacks

  1. Thrive | Start Your Journey Towards Financial Wellness | KeyBank says:
    June 6, 2017 at 09:20

    […] travels a lot, make his airport sojourns easier by turning a colorful tie into luggage tags. This CraftTestDummies tutorial requires a bit of sewing. Fortunately, if you don’t sew you can use double-sided […]

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Hi! I’m Jenny, the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS and the Head Dummy behind CraftTestDummies.com where you’ll find craft product reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news.

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs is Head Dummy and Pied Piper behind CTD, which focuses on reviews, tutorials, and craft industry news. Jenny has appeared on HSN, Scrapbook Soup PBS series, and is currently the co-host of Hands On Crafts for Kids on PBS.

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