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Tips on How to Make Luggage Tags

Mrunal Belvalkar
A luggage tag makes identifying your luggage at the baggage carousel easy. It also helps you track lost luggage. Here, find out how to make luggage tags at home and use them to personalize and embellish your luggage!
Man has a bad habit to be governed and ruled by tags. We have this obsession for naming things that belong to us. Someone who we know is a friend, someone who we know but don't hang out much with is an acquaintance. An acquaintance in the workplace becomes a colleague; one in college becomes a peer.
The first thing you think about after buying a puppy is what are you going to call it. Parents spend entire pregnancies thinking about the perfect name to christen their baby girl with. You taste a new preparation at a restaurant and you immediately want to know what it is called.
And the stages between someone turning a lover from a friend also have many names - crush, infatuation, love, lover, paramour, my guy, my girl, boyfriend, girlfriend. Such is our obsession for tags that we are always coming up with names for everything around us. (The latest was 'work spouse'... what in anyway has that got to mean!)
The minute you call someone your 'boyfriend', you treat him differently. The minute you use words like 'sweetheart', a girl is going to think you like her! Though being stuck up in labels and tags is not such a good thing, sometimes it is necessary... like at the baggage carousel!
You are going to lose your belongings if you do not attach a luggage tag to your luggage! How to make luggage tags? Find out as you read on...

5 Fantastic Luggage Tag Ideas

Fabric Tags

This is probably the most common luggage tag idea. You can use old clothes to make fabric luggage tags. You can even make tags out of gunny bags, old school bags, handkerchiefs, napkins etc.
The best way to make a tag is to embroider details like your name, contact number (in case of loss) etc. That way the details cannot be wiped out or tampered with. Alternatively you can use fabric paint to paint on the details. Make sure to punch a hole through the tag so you can tie it to your luggage.

Plastic Tags

Old plastic boxes can be cut into neat square shaped or rectangular cards that can be turned into luggage tags. You can use a permanent marker to write details onto the card. Alternatively you can paint on the details with a suitable paint. One idea here is to use a stencil to paint on the details.
The best thing about plastic luggage tags is they are a lot more durable than fabric tags (which can easily tear). Plastic tags won't spoil even if they get wet. Punch a hole through the tag and tie it up.

Cardboard Tags

Old cardboard boxes and cartons may be converted into luggage tags. Use markers, sketch pens, glitter glue, sparkle to decorate your cardboard tags. It is very easy to personalize a cardboard luggage tag, for all you need to do is pick up a pen and scribble all over it!
The best thing about cardboard tags is, you can make a new one every time! If you want to get a permanent tag, you can simply get the cardboard laminated. Lamination will make it durable.
You can even use binding cloth from an old diary to stick two pieces of cardboard together and make a folded luggage tag.

Old Visiting/Business Card Tags

All those visiting cards lying around the house can finally be put to good use! Use plain paper to cover the card. Alternatively if you have one-side blank visiting cards, paste two cards together with their printed sides facing each other.
On the plain side, use your creativity to the fullest and decorate the luggage tag. It would be a good idea to laminate this kind of a luggage tag too.

Dog-tag Luggage Tags

This could be quite an expensive affair, but it looks totally cool. Dog-tag luggage tags would be the most durable, unbreakable and tamper proof tags you could ever ask for.
You can get them etched with your details. It would be a one time investment. You can even get silver or gold plated dog-tag luggage tag, if you really want to go overboard and don't mind spending a few extra bucks. If not, ask Santa!

Some More Luggage Tag Tips
Having a luggage tag is a necessity, yes. But that does not mean a luggage tag has to be plain, simple and boring! These tags can be turned into an accessory that will embellish your luggage.

Theme-based Tags

Going to the beach? Why not make a flip-flop shaped luggage tag? Going on a safari? How about a monkey-faced luggage tag? Christmas holidays? A Christmas tree shaped luggage tag could be real fun to make! You can use cartoon character faces to make tags for your kid's luggage.

Other Catchy Tags

You can make eye-catching tags that signify something special to you, or something that is your favorite. A personalized luggage tag could even carry your picture. The string you use to attach your luggage tag to your luggage need not be typical either.
One out-of-the-box idea would be to use an old leather watch belt. You can even go for old junk jewelry, especially necklaces and bracelets. You can even use key-chain rings.

Embellishing the Luggage Tag

How about adding small bells and trinkets to the luggage tag? It would rattle and make some noise if anyone was tampering with your luggage, serving to alert you of possible theft! Besides, trinkets and bells go on to successfully embellish your luggage. They indeed look very pretty! Think about it.
A luggage tag is supposed to help you identify your luggage from scores of similar looking bags, suitcases, duffel bags and the likes. So make sure it is as original as you can make it. Also, do not get carried away with making it fancy!
Let the details on the tag be clear, visible and readable. Or else there will come a situation where you yourself won't be able to identify your luggage! Have a safe and theft-free journey!