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AIBU?

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Original poster

to consider offering a badge sewing service?

98 replies

Hippee · 08/12/2018 23:36

Just spent an evening sewing badges on DS's Cub uniform and I really don't mind it. I hear so many people moaning about doing it, so I wondered whether I should offer to do it and, if so, how much I should charge. It takes 3-5 minutes to sew a badge on, depending on size. I am a SAHM and do loads of voluntary work, but was actually thinking of keeping the money in this case - and perhaps donating a percentage to the Cubs. If you hate sewing, how much would you pay?

OP posts:
5foot5 · 09/12/2018 00:07

Wouldn't it be great if, instead of giving the badge out at the end of whatever activity it was earned for so the child took it home for a parent (usually mother) to sew on, they saved the badge until the next meeting and the first thing was to sew your own badge on.

DontMakeMeShushYou · 09/12/2018 00:31

Wouldn't it be great if, instead of giving the badge out at the end of whatever activity it was earned for so the child took it home for a parent (usually mother) to sew on, they saved the badge until the next meeting and the first thing was to sew your own badge on.

So if parents don't actually know how to sew, what makes you think Scout and Guide leaders would and, more to the point, what makes you think the child would?

BackforGood · 09/12/2018 00:41

I know a few people who have offered this service for fundraising (for Jamboree or other Scout fundraising).
It has been really popular.
They've tended to just offer it to their own group, and it has been 'a donation' that was requested.
I wouldn't bother offering a % to the Groups, tbh - it is too faffy and time consuming for the Leaders (or Exec) to be taking in 10ps here and there.
If you were offering it to people you don't know, you'd have to have a fixed price, and think about the logistics of - do they deliver to you / do you deliver to them / etc.
You could also approach swimming teachers / clubs - my dc used to have all their badges on towels.

5foot5 · 09/12/2018 00:58

So if parents don't actually know how to sew, what makes you think Scout and Guide leaders would and, more to the point, what makes you think the child would?

Ah come on. It's not exactly difficult it's just tedious. You are not seriously suggesting, are you, that this is really beyond the capabilities of most people over the age of 7 or 8?

And, if we are getting more to the point, why on earth would leaders dish out badges that need sewing on if they themselves have no idea how to go about it? Seriously it isn't rocket science and very basic sewing is one of those useful life skills. What would they do if a button came off or a hem comes down? Throw away the whole garment?

StitchingMoss · 09/12/2018 01:02

5foot5, in this day and age yes a lot of people would throw away the garment rather than repair Shock

comedycentral · 09/12/2018 01:07

I think you would be on to a winner!

But by cubs they need to be trying to sew on their own, maybe you could offer parent and child classes later down the line! Grin

TheQueef · 09/12/2018 01:10

Military sewing for medals is a good earner too.

GallicosCats · 09/12/2018 01:13

And not everyone finds 'basic' sewing easy. I'm fairly handy at buttons myself but I can quite see that not everyone has the fine motor skills (or, in some cases, eyesight) to push a reluctant needle through the stiff unyielding material that badges tend to be made from, without ending up with sore fingertips and knuckles. It might be 'basic' but it's laborious, especially if you're not used to it and have never been taught.

BWatchWatcher · 09/12/2018 01:14

Badge glue.

FreshEyre · 09/12/2018 01:21

I would pay you £1-2 per badge and I probably buy you wine.

I have tried and tried to sew neatly. I put the badges on the uniform, pin them in place and set off sewing them feeling very smug that I am doing something crafty.

End result: wonky badges (how the hell does that happen), a couple of flappy bits that somehow got missed and in daylight the thread doesn't match the way it should.

Offer a quick, professional service using the right coloured thread. It's a bonus if you know where each badge should go as I invariably waste 15mins trying to google it and still get them wrong.

Camp blankets, swimming badges etc. Yes please.

Mamaryllis · 09/12/2018 01:23

Yeahhhhhh I tried to run a badge seeing night with my cub pack.
Nuff said.
It was fine until the scout leaders walked past jeering and asking the boys ‘what are you doing all that women’s work for?’
I don’t run cubs any more.

Menolly · 09/12/2018 01:32

I charge 50p to £1 per badge (50p for normal badges, £1 for trickier to sew challenge badges) money goes to Guiding.

DropZoneOne · 09/12/2018 10:33

You could offer to sew elastics / ribbons on ballet shoes too. I can sew, but I'm painfully slow and would gladly pay someone a few quid!

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 09/12/2018 10:38

I can do v basic sewing but I'd gladly pay for that!

Fancyacuppaluv · 09/12/2018 10:42

I sewed the first couple on (badly) and then I discovered badge glue, bloody marvellous stuff.
That said, I’d happily pay 50p per badge for someone to sew them on properly for me.
Go for it!

MorningsEleven · 09/12/2018 10:54

All of DS's badges are in the wrong place. I can't face it.

Pfingstrose · 09/12/2018 10:58

I think it's a good idea. Pony Club involves a lot of badge sewing too.

I hate sewing badges. See also: nametapes.

5foot5 · 09/12/2018 11:15

It was fine until the scout leaders walked past jeering and asking the boys ‘what are you doing all that women’s work for?’
I don’t run cubs any more.

Wow I am not surprised you don't run cubs anymore. I wouldn't want anything to do with an organisation whose leaders thought it was acceptable to model attitudes like that. That's shocking
!

Love51 · 09/12/2018 11:25

I remembered seeing my own badges on as a kid so decided DD should as well. I hadn't considered that I started as a brownie and she started as a rainbow. She's going up to brownies soon which is lucky as her rainbows top is a bit messy now with the bad sewing! I see sewing on the badge as being part of a group that gives badges. I do name tags, even though it is basically the same thing!

Becles · 09/12/2018 11:28

@BWatchWatcher As a Brownie leader I'd be happy for you to come and run a sewing session with 28 girls anytime you feel like it.

OP - offer on you local selling pages and community groups. You'll make an absolute fortune (50p ea to start with as £1 is steep. You can always adjust upwards once you know your market.)

A tip would be to take a picture of the badges received and send while parent is handing over and also once you have sewn on. Trust me

EspressoButler · 09/12/2018 11:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Di11y · 09/12/2018 11:31

surely the first badge they do should be seeing then they do their own badges! Shock

Sunnysidegold · 09/12/2018 11:33

Our local sewing shop charges a pound a badge but the scout leader now offers it at 50p a badge. One mum laughed at me and said I was a lazy mum. Saw her sheepishly hand over a bag of badges and a fiver a few weeks later.

BWatchWatcher · 09/12/2018 11:38

@Becles not sure if you’re being funny? You can get badge glue from scout shops. It takes 2 minutes. Sometimes we make things harder than they have to be.

itbemay · 09/12/2018 11:47

Yes! I need 2 badges sewn on and am useless!

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