Lanyards have become an essential accessory for teachers. They keep your important items close at hand and add a touch of style to your daily look. 

While many might enjoy the creative process of making their own lanyards, there are several factors to consider when deciding between a DIY project and purchasing a professionally crafted lanyard. In this article, we'll provide tips for making your own teacher lanyards straight from the pros who have hand-crafted and shipped over 100,000 teacher lanyards.

Tip 1: Choose the Right Materials

When crafting your own teacher lanyard, selecting the right materials is crucial. After all, teacher lanyards are one of the very few items in your life that you'll use daily, so it needs to stand the test of time. 

You'll need:

• Sturdy Cord (ours are rated to hold over 100 pounds)
• Breakaway clasps (these are for safety; most schools require them)
• Beads (Why silicone beads?)
• Jump Rings (these are the small silver rings that attach everything)
• Hardware (spiral rings and/or lobster clasps) 
• Tassels (optional, but ours are made from vegan suede with custom metal hardware for durability)

You can find these supplies at craft stores or online shops. Keep in mind, to get the best quality at an affordable price, you'll probably need to buy in larger quantities. For example, we purchase our Cord in rolls of 1,000 feet. We typically order 20,000+ beads at a time (some of which are custom colors and patterns we designed.) Our hardware comes in quantities of 10,000 pieces at a time and is made to our exact specifications to ensure extreme durability

Because of the volume we buy, we can provide you with the best value without sacrificing quality. 

Tip 2: Add Personal Touches

One of the joys of DIY projects is the opportunity to personalize your lanyard. You can choose colors, patterns, and decorations that reflect your style or classroom theme. Typically, each color or style of beads will require purchasing a minimum quantity for the best price. The same is true for tassels, which are also a fun way to add some color and movement to your lanyards.

If you're considering adding a personalized name tag to your lanyard, we recommend checking out our "How to personalize teacher lanyards" article for more details and tips.

Interested in designing a custom lanyard without the up-front cost? Our DYO Teacher Lanyards allow you to pick every bead, the tassel, and more! By the Graces also offers a range of premade designs.

Tip 3: Pay Attention to Safety

When making your own lanyard, safety should be a top priority. And, there are a few factors here.

1. Student Safety: Ensure that your lanyard is free of small parts that could pose a choking hazard to students if the lanyard was to break. This is especially true if you have small children in your classroom. We combat this by ensuring our lanyards are highly durable in the first place.
2. Your Safety: There are tons of hooks, nobs, and other snag points around you each day. For this reason, your lanyard NEEDs a breakaway clasp. Without one, your lanyard could get caught and yank your neck, causing an injury. 
3. Everyone's Safety: Teachers typically carry sensitive items on their lanyards, including keys and ID badges (which sometimes act as keys to get into controlled areas, too!) If your lanyard isn't ultra-strong, your essential items could be lost or stolen. Imagine what could happen if these items ended up in the wrong hands...not to mention the cost of replacing them. 

By the Graces' lanyards are rigorously tested for safety, giving you peace of mind while wearing them in a classroom full of curious children.

Tip 4: Consider Durability

Teacher lanyards endure a lot of wear and tear. They are constantly exposed to the elements, pulled on, and subjected to daily use. By the Graces invests heavily in specialized machinery and quality control processes to create lanyards that are not only stylish but also incredibly durable. This means your lanyard will last throughout the school year and beyond.

When making your own lanyard, you must consider durability. One great example is that we carefully form and weld every jump ring on our lanyards. Without this seemingly small step, it's very easy for the jump ring to spread open over time, leading to lost keys and badges. We invested tens of thousands of dollars into special machinery to ensure this never happens with one of our lanyards.

Make an Informed Choice

Whether you choose to create your own teacher lanyard or purchase one from By the Graces, the key is to make an informed choice. DIY lanyards allow you to infuse your personality into your accessories, but they may lack the durability, safety, and convenience of professionally made lanyards. 

By the Graces, as a trusted source for teacher lanyards, offers a range of stylish options that are meticulously crafted for your satisfaction.

Ultimately, the decision is yours, and it depends on your priorities. So, whether you're crafting your lanyard with love or choosing the convenience of By the Graces, make sure your lanyard reflects your unique style and serves you well in your noble teaching profession.