Just because you wear an ID badge doesn’t mean you have to give up your personal style while you’re at work or school. In this Beading Lesson, we’ll cover badge lanyard basics and explore ideas for other creative options.
To make a basic badge lanyard, you’ll need to choose the style of badge clip you prefer, along with beading wire, beads, two crimp beads, wire cutters and a crimping tool.
Basic Badge Lanyard:
- Cut a 40" length of Beadalon® 49-strand wire in .024" diameter or the largest diameter that will pass through the bead holes.
- String a badge clip onto center of wire.
- String beads as desired on each side of the badge clip.
- To finish the ends, use two crimp tubes. Pass each wire end through a crimp tube, string a few last beads and pass the other wire end through the opposite side of the crimp tube and bead section. This will help spread the tension out a little bit and you won't have to rely on just one crimp. It’s the same technique you’d use for any continuous necklace design.
Note: Some schools and job sites require lanyards to have a break-away clasp. If you are using a break-away, then use a crimp tube to attach each end of the lanyard to the clasp.
Changing It Up:
It’s also easy to combine beaded sections with Quick Links™ chain for stylish, interesting lanyards. Use Beadalon® wire to string sections of beads and attach them to Quick Links™ chain.
Scrimp® and Wire Guardian™ findings make very durable connections between the beaded sections and the chain, or you can use crimp beads to attach them. The advantage of using a Scrimp® and Wire Guardian™ combination is that the Scrimp® findings are removable and reusable if you decide to change the lanyard later.
Try customizing Quick Links™ chain by substituting other Quick Links™ components for some of the links in the chain. Mix circle links with diamonds or ovals for a funkier, artsy look.
Links:
Badge clips http://www.beadalon.com/BaseBadgeClipswithswivel.asp
Beadalon® 49 http://www.beadalon.com/49StrandStringingWires.asp
Quick Links™ http://www.beadalon.com/QuickLinksChain.asp
Scrimp® findings http://www.beadalon.com/BaseScrimpFindings.asp
Wire Guardian™ findings http://www.beadalon.com/BaseWireGuardians.asp
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