*Grand* Custom Luggage Tag Tutorial

Hello!  Oh, Happy Day! The sun is (finally) shining this morning and so I can take pictures indoors without needing a professional photo studio...  Forgive the glare... I miss the sun and so I won't complain.  Here is a tutorial on making your very own custom luggage tags - this one is pretty basic, but I am sure some of you extra creative types can come up with more amazing versions than I did....

Here is the finished project:

 I started with a package of 5 Laminating Pouches that I bought at Staples for about $5.99.

I got the SelfSeal version since I don't have a thermal laminating machine... Do you?

Here is what comes in the packages - 5 plastic sleeves and 5 plastic ties that seem reasonably strong.

 For the detail oriented types, this is the size of the tag - 2 7/8" x 4 5/8".

I printed out a picture that would be colorful and noticeable at the airport -

this photo is of the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park,  

from our trip there several years ago.

 Then I printed out the info for the tag to go on the flip side.  

It has been blurred to protect the innocent...  

According to my extensive research (Google Search this a.m.) 

there are several things you do want to put on your luggage tags 

and there are a couple of big No-No's.

To save you the trouble of doing your own extensive  research, here is the advice: 

Put your name, Cell phone number and email address on the tag.  

Do not put your home phone number or home address on the tag.  

Apparently, there are thieves lurking at airport gates, nestling up to fellow travelers, 

reading their names and addresses off of their luggage tags 

and promptly heading to their homes to rob them! 

Don't let this happen to you!

 I used a glue stick to attach the photo I printed to the ID info card I printed, wrong sides together.

 Then I centered the photo/ID info on the handy grid provided.

And then I carefully peeled the non-stick grid paper off .

 I carefully pressed the sticky sides together, looped the plastic strap through the handy slot provided  and Voila!

I have a custom luggage tag- it's colorful and useful and a nice memento of our trip too. 

 

Here's the tag attached to the leather backpack that we bought on the Ponte Vecchio on our first day in Florence many years ago.  This backpack traveled all over Italy with us and then on to many National Parks and other adventures with us.

Me, on the Ponte Vecchio, eating some wonderful Dolce...

And finally, Mr. Grand, sporting the leather backpack in Tuscany 

and looking pretty darn Dolce to me!

 I think these luggage tags would make great gifts...  filing for Christmas 2012.



Linking to Potpourri Friday at 2805