Dead Easy Steps to Make a Memory Scout-Poncho

Do you have a scout in the house? A Beaver, Wolf-Cub, Cub-Scout, Rainbow Guide, Brownie, Girl-Scout, Girl-Guide and so on and so forth? Well get on board with my Dead Easy Steps to Make a Memory Scout Poncho! This is so easy and a wonderful cuddly accessory for any camp-out!

As some of you may know, I am a minimalist at heart. So I find it quite difficult to cope with the sheer volume of stuff that comes along with Minnie-Sue’s various activities. And whilst I can rationalise my recycling filing system of Stars of the Day and Reading Challenge certificates, I find it harder to just chuck out medals and badges. But what to do with them?

If you’re in the same boat, especially if your child’s extra-curricular activity involves badges/patches of some description, I have a great way for you to save those badges in a useful way that is also full of memories.

Folks- meet The Scout Poncho!

 

Now, I cannot take any credit whatsoever for this stroke of genius. It all came together after years of staring at stuff and wondering how to rationalise all of it. Here’s how it all went down…

Women who stare at stuff

For years, I had observed my husband’s Scout Poncho being moved from basket to drawer to airing-cupboard and never being used. The Scout Poncho is a soft, brown tartan rug onto which all his scouting badges are sewn. But with his scouting days long past, it was never used for anything. It just kept moving around the house. I assumed this was because it was deemed too precious for everyday use. Saved for best perhaps. But best what?

 

When Minnie-Sue moved up from Beavers to Cubs we had her badge covered Beaver jumper left over. Minimalist me couldn’t just let that sit uselessly in her wardrobe. There was no point and it was taking up valuable space. It took a while for the wheels in my head to start turning (I think I forgot to drink coffee that morning) but eventually I connected the dots!

A Multi-generational Scouting Poncho

My husband recalls his scouting years with great fondness and I think he is really pretty chuffed that Minnie-Sue went down the scouting route too. So it seemed like a wonderful way to connect two generations of cubs/scouts by joining their badges together in the Scout Poncho. The solution has been staring me in the face for ages!

I am a faithful supporter of the Heat ‘n’ Bond no-sew concept! I bragged to anyone who would listen that I hadn’t sewed a single badge onto Minnie-Sue’s Beaver jumper. Just cut out the Heat ‘n’ Bond and iron away! (I’m torn between awarding Heat ‘n’ Bond or Command Strips the Invention of My Lifetime Award).

However, when it came to the Scout Poncho, I thought I’d better put a little more effort in. Because heat can also release Heat ‘n’ Bond and if Minnie-Sue was wearing the poncho near a campfire…Well, let’s just say, I didn’t want the badges to be falling off in a field somewhere.

So I went a little more hardcore and got the sewing supplies out.

Step 1

Decide where you want your badges to be placed and pin them to the blanket.

Step 2

Get out your sewing supplies. I used my sewing machine which was a little tricky in that the badges are mainly circles. The blanket is fairly voluminous and so sometimes it gathered up, making it difficult to turn and maneuver but I took it slowly and we were just fine!

You can also choose to hand sew the badges on. I do this with Minnie-Sue’s current wooley jumper for Cubs.

Boom! You’re done. Bob’s your uncle!

That is actually all there is to it. Place, Pin, Stitch. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. And here’s how it all turned out:

 

 

 

 

Now all I have to do is unpick the stitching where the head-hole was sewn back together and we’ll be ready for the next camp-out. I love that when she is away from home, even if just overnight, she has the comfort of her family wrapped around her. And I’m sure it will be a great talking piece with the leaders who may remember the badges from my husband’s scouting days!

Not into camping or scouting?

The wonderful thing is that you can use this method for any of the sporting badges/patches that your kids bring home. I’d even venture to say that if you purchased a nice fleece blanket, you could sew on any of the badges that your kids bring home from their extra-curricular pursuits. I know that swimming is a sport that attracts badges. OR…you could make a Travel Badge blanket. If you and your family like to travel, this would be a lovely way to remember the places you’ve been without collecting lots of little bits of stuff!

How do you store/showcase your children’s activity/achievement awards, especially the paper ones!