What Do You Do With Enamel Pins?

Maybe you have spent a lifetime collecting pins or maybe you just received your first enamel pin and are wondering “what do you do with enamel pins?”  The answer is easy, you share them with others by wearing them, displaying them, and definitely showing them off.

Have you ever been to a store and the clerk is wearing a vest full of custom pins?  Our natural tendency is to stare at them and want to know the story.  

Your pins are unique, interesting, and most importantly they remind you of something.  They prompt you to tell a story, to relate an experience and this helps you to connect with those around you.  The power of a pin is amazing so don’t hide your enamel pins in your drawer – show them off proudly and see the magic begin.

So, if you need creative ideas for showing off your pins, there is only one obvious place to go – Pinterest!!  A quick search reveals many creative solutions.  Listed below are a few unique ways and a few standard ways.

No sew hoop pin display

This idea came from a quilter who has a collection of pins that match her quilting prowess. She actually creates her own enamel pins and sells them to compliment her quilting.  You may not be able to make your own like she did, but you certainly could buy one or have one made.

Cork board pin display

Cork boards are very common as you find them in offices, in kitchens, in bedrooms, in school hallways, churches, government buildings and pretty much anywhere important notices are displayed.  Just think of your custom pin pinned to a bulletin board holding up a notice.  People may spend more time looking at the pin than they do looking at the notice.  I can see already that kitchen cork board or bedroom cork board full of unique pins all about you.  That really would be a story.

Cute banner pin display

Another cute idea is a banner.  It might be custom made to match your room or it may just be a banner that can be easily hung.  The banner itself could be a work of art, then add the pins and you have a masterpiece that will complement the other décor in your bedroom.

Next are some of the more obvious display options for your enamel pins.

Pin bag display

For true collectors of pins, those that have hundreds of pins, a pin bag is pretty important.  The pin bag is more for protecting, storing, and providing easy transport of your pins rather than a pretty way to display them.  Pin bags are designed with multiple pages of soft fabric well suited for pinning enamel pins too.  Many pin bags also have an enclosed pouch so the pin clutch doesn’t fall off and get lost.  The soft fabric protects the pins from getting scratched. You can zip the bag closed to keep the pins safe.  And most importantly when traveling you can pick up the pin bag and transport your pins very easily.  It also helps at pin trading events to collect many pins and keep them safe, yet easily open the bag to show others what you have to trade.  The pin bag is a must for little league baseball pin trading, destination imagination pin trading, Disney pin trading, odyssey of the mind pin trading and other type events.

Shadow box pin display

A more exclusive high-end way to display your enamel pins is with a shadow box.  A shadow box can really become a piece of art in your home.  After participating in a particular winter Olympics, I received a shadow box displaying the exclusive custom pins produced for each of the sponsors of the Olympics.  This shadow box proudly hangs in my office and has become a major point of discussion when people come to visit.

Backpack display

Displaying pins on a backpack has become very popular for elementary school kids all the way up to college students.  For them there is no better way to display a pin than on something they carry around every day.  They become a walking billboard about themselves.  As they walk around campus with the backpack on, people walking behind them have nothing better to do than to look at the pins and wonder what each one means.  What you find is the pins describe the personality of the person.  Now instead of being bored walking to class you can guess the personality of the person in front of you.

Vest jacket display

It was mentioned at the beginning of the article, about a pin vest, but is worth mentioning again.  If you work in a job you are required to wear a vest or jacket this is an ideal place to display your pins.  A clerk at Walmart, Home Depot or even the grocery store may have 5-10 different pins displaying on their vest.  Take a minute to ask them about a particular pin and they will generally tell you they earned the pin for some milestone of achievement.  Pins are too fun to be put in a drawer; they need to be displayed.

Lanyard display

In today’s society, security or identification is important.  Many people are required to show ID as they enter their corporate offices, school grounds or even a convention.  Lanyards have been adopted to hang their ID to make it easy to access and be visible.  What you will notice next is the custom pins going up one side and down the other.  Many pins are displayed in this fashion.

Suit lapel pin display

The original name for a pin is “lapel pin”.  This name is becoming less and less used as people are migrating to the term “enamel pin”.  However, pins were created and designed to be worn or displayed on a suit lapel.  A lapel is the flap of fabric on each side of the front of a suit.  So, in honor of the old-fashioned way of displaying a pin, when you get all dressed up to go to a formal event, don’t forget to display your single enamel pin on the left side lapel.

Three final ways to display your enamel pins revolve around your head, your jacket, and your car.

Hat pin display

This might seem a little more unique, but it is worthy of mention.  We began with the girlie displays and are finishing with the manly displays.  Most men wear hats for fishing, hunting, sports, sun protection and so on.  The hat becomes the vehicle to display a man's pins.  Fabric for women, backpacks for kids and youth, and hats for men.  Let me just tell you, you can get a lot of pins on a baseball hat.  Men may not catch the biggest fish, but they can wear the biggest fish pin.

Jean jacket pin display

Girls often wear jean jackets.  Girls like things.  Combine a jean jacket and some pins and you have the ultimate display of pins.  The jacket may weigh a pound or two more but seeing 30 pins on a jacket is quite an impressive sight.

Car pin display

This is last because it is the last thing you might think of when you are wondering what you can do with enamel pins.  How can you attach a pin to a car?  Well, you can’t, but you can still display a pin or two.  Every car has a dash, and more often than not that dash has stuff on it.  If you ever get a pin that says “I love my Husband” or “I love my Wife”, I would suggest you put it on the dash of your car.  You will always get a smile out of your spouse when they get it.

Displaying pins is your way of saying, I Love My Pins and I want to tell you about them.