05 Jul Luggage Tag Tutorial

I bought some new luggage earlier this year and my recent trip to Raleigh was the first time I’d taken my new suitcase on a plane.  My old suitcase had a little slot on the back of it that I could slide my business card into.  I didn’t realize until I got to the airport that there was no slot on this suitcase and I didn’t have any luggage tags!

What is any self-respecting sewist to do, but make some?  Here is how I made mine:

Materials:

• 2  3″ x 4 1/2″ pieces of fabric for the tag
• 1  1″ x 9″ piece of fabric for the strap
• 1  2 1/2″ x 3 3/4″ piece of vinyl for the cover  (I cut up a nametag holder I had on hand)
• 1  2 1/2″ x 3 3/4″ piece of Pellon Peltex 72F double-sided fusible ultra firm interfacing  (I had some from a previous project, but any firm fusible would probably work)

Sew the two tag fabrics right sides together using a very scant 1/4″ seam on both long and one short side.
Turn right side out and press.  Tuck in the raw edges 1/4″ and press again.
Tuck the Peltex inside the tag “envelope”.

Fold the 9″ strap piece with the raw edges to the center and then in half again to make the strap.  Stitch along the edge.  (I used my 1/2″ bias tape maker to do the first fold and then pressed it in half again and stitched.)

Tuck the strap in between the tag and the Peltex and fuse the Peltex in place on both sides of the tag.

Align the edges of the vinyl with the edges of the tag that do not include the strap.  (I used binding clips to hold it in place).  Stitch around all four sides of the tag being sure NOT to catch the vinyl on the end where the strap attaches.

Slide your card in between the tag and the vinyl and attach it to your suitcase!

I didn’t think about privacy until after I’d made these tags, but if I make any more, I might try to find a frosted plastic in place of the clear vinyl so my card is not as easy to read by those who don’t need the information.

What a fun, fast project!  In addition to identifying my bag in case it gets lost, with these new tags I won’t have any trouble spotting my black suitcase among the many others black ones.  That yellow Collage fabric just makes me smile!