Displaying/Storing Patches
June 8, 2011 6:11 PM Subscribe
How to store/display cloth patches from travel destinations (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc.).
We have quite a number of cloth patches from our travels. Initially, we sewed them onto our travel vests but the vests filled up and frankly are a little gauche. The patches are great reminders of where we've been and the fun, or not, that we've experienced. My creativity has stalled. Any suggestions?
We have quite a number of cloth patches from our travels. Initially, we sewed them onto our travel vests but the vests filled up and frankly are a little gauche. The patches are great reminders of where we've been and the fun, or not, that we've experienced. My creativity has stalled. Any suggestions?
Put them on a quilt - even better if the quilt had a map on it.
posted by Wantok at 6:21 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by Wantok at 6:21 PM on June 8, 2011
My mother sewed hers onto a piece of fabric that could be hung on a wall, if she so desired. I had a similar piece of fabric with some of mine on, but most are just loose in the same shoebox as my cloth is.
posted by hoyland at 6:29 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by hoyland at 6:29 PM on June 8, 2011
My wife has all her guide/scout leader/travel/camp patches sewn onto a big fleece wrap-around
(kind of like a poncho) that is perfect for sitting around the campfire on cool nights. And if you are ever stuck for conversation around the campfire, hey, there's a patch/memory to discuss.
posted by pixlboi at 6:35 PM on June 8, 2011
(kind of like a poncho) that is perfect for sitting around the campfire on cool nights. And if you are ever stuck for conversation around the campfire, hey, there's a patch/memory to discuss.
posted by pixlboi at 6:35 PM on June 8, 2011
I would do this (scroll down to letter D). I am, in fact, going to do this for my kids' boy/girl scout patches, and a friend of mine did something similar with tickets of all kinds (transit, concert, etc.) in a smaller shadow box, with lots of different layers to the tickets. So, your patches don't have to be linear and all in a row; you can put some depth to them.
posted by cooker girl at 6:48 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by cooker girl at 6:48 PM on June 8, 2011
A shadow box, maybe?
When the Webelos scouts cross over from our Cub Scout pack, their patches, awards, decorations, etc. get mounted in a shadow box. I also did one with my Grandpa's WWII stuff. It's easy, and you can start with a $15 box from the craft store and go all the way up to full-on museum-quality conservation.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:54 PM on June 8, 2011
When the Webelos scouts cross over from our Cub Scout pack, their patches, awards, decorations, etc. get mounted in a shadow box. I also did one with my Grandpa's WWII stuff. It's easy, and you can start with a $15 box from the craft store and go all the way up to full-on museum-quality conservation.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:54 PM on June 8, 2011
My mom has sown a ton of patches onto a nice heavy duty cloth backpack (both the body and the straps), which she uses as a travel bag. It's a great conversation piece wherever she goes, as people talk to her all the time asking about the patches. It's getting to be pretty full now, but it's lasted 10+ years.
posted by gemmy at 8:51 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by gemmy at 8:51 PM on June 8, 2011
What about sewing them to a ribbon and using that along the moulding of a room for decor?
posted by rosa at 9:22 PM on June 8, 2011
posted by rosa at 9:22 PM on June 8, 2011
Embroidery hoops! Sew your patches onto a backing cloth and mount them in embroidery hoops; the round shape looks more unique than regular frames, you can mix up different sizes of hoops for visual interest, group patches by place/year/type of destination/whatever, get different colours of fabric to complement the patches and/or your decor, and so on.
posted by sophistrie at 10:09 PM on June 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by sophistrie at 10:09 PM on June 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sew/glue them onto a large piece of felt and have that framed.
Whatever you do, don't wear them.
posted by Kololo at 5:14 AM on June 9, 2011
Whatever you do, don't wear them.
posted by Kololo at 5:14 AM on June 9, 2011
I would also sew one edge of each at intervals along a length of ribbon, or glue over a piece of twine - hey presto, you have yourself some awesomely unique bunting to hang wherever.
Or, if you haven't already, buy a bunch of big, plain photo albums for your travel snaps and decoupage the patches onto the covers.
posted by guessthis at 5:34 AM on June 9, 2011
Or, if you haven't already, buy a bunch of big, plain photo albums for your travel snaps and decoupage the patches onto the covers.
posted by guessthis at 5:34 AM on June 9, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you very much, yesterday I had a container full of patches. Today I have options for display!
posted by KneeDeep at 8:37 AM on June 9, 2011
posted by KneeDeep at 8:37 AM on June 9, 2011
I'd put them on a denim jacket, and use it for display.
Whatever you do, don't wear them.
Conflicting advice; now that I'm way past Scouting age I agree with the latter. Lots of mission patches available in the NASA environment in which I work, but nothing looks dorkier to me than some non-astronaut sporting a jacket dotted with the things.
posted by Rash at 10:23 AM on June 9, 2011
Whatever you do, don't wear them.
Conflicting advice; now that I'm way past Scouting age I agree with the latter. Lots of mission patches available in the NASA environment in which I work, but nothing looks dorkier to me than some non-astronaut sporting a jacket dotted with the things.
posted by Rash at 10:23 AM on June 9, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by theora55 at 6:17 PM on June 8, 2011