Help me decorate my car

September 10, 2023 9:38 AM

I bought a clip-on medal for my car, and the visor is too thick. I'd also like to add a few small charms. How do I do this?

I want something I can buy and don't have to make. Please link to actual products if at all possible unless you can come up with a spanking new search term. CW: Catholic swag.

I bought a St. Christopher medal sort of like this one. The visor is too thick for it. It's vintage, so I don't want to take pliers to it.

I've looked at visor organizers and sunglass holders online, but they all seem very large and much bigger than what I want. I've looked at mini bungee cords, but I don't think the medal would stay put. I've tried to find thicker elastic straps, but they all seem much too long.

In addition, I bought a tiny saint charm. I thought of getting bracelet string to put around the gear shift, but I'm not sure that's the best idea. I've tried to look at plain vent clips, but the pictures don't seem to show how they really work. Hanging something from the mirror is legally questionable, so I don't want to do that.

Please hit me with your best ideas.

posted by FencingGal to Shopping (6 answers total)

I would experiment with some Command hook-and-loop strips. Trim a pair down and stick one strip to the medal's clip and one strip to your visor. And maybe a clear command hook for the charm, stick to the dashboard besides the vents wherever you have room.

I'm a command strip fiend - they're always my go-to for hanging conundrums.

(I also have a St. Christopher's medal my grandmother gave me when I first started driving. I actually made a u-turn back to the car dealer after buying a new car because I forgot to take it off of the trade-in!)
posted by kimberussell at 10:05 AM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

From time spent in Georgia, where they take their taxi charms seriously because Tbilisi traffic is crazy: command hook next to the rear view mirror for light accessories, rosaries and other heavy goods wrap around the support of the mirror itself.

(I have a vent clip and a St Michael sticker next to the radio, but the latter is from a Belarusian nun long ago. Pretty stickers of saints are really hard to get.)
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:01 AM on September 10, 2023 [1 favorite]

a rubber hair tie might do the trick for the medal. I'm specifically thinking of these although the more colorful elastic kind might be sufficient.
posted by neckro23 at 11:43 AM on September 10, 2023

What about plain black elastic headbands like this? If you're worried about the saint clip sliding around, you could probably loop the headband around the clip a coupe times before sliding it onto the visor to help it stay in place.

If the headband seems like it's too big, you could look at headbands marketed to kids.
posted by litera scripta manet at 4:08 PM on September 10, 2023

I actually use sport-style terrycloth headbands! We have a big cargo van with giant and thick visors and unless I want to get something from a truck stop I can't find anything that fits. My headbands are black and grey but you can get rainbows or other fun colors. I put the headbands on the short way, and then a giant silicone band the long way to improve tension. This does a great job holding stuff, looks fun, I guess you have an emergency headband if you need one.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:41 AM on September 11, 2023

For the tiny charm, you could just tie a string around a vent slat and clip to that. A twist tie or other light wire could probably work for threading it: attach the string to one end and make the other into a hook so you'll be able to grab it and pull it through.
posted by teremala at 8:50 AM on September 11, 2023