Introduction: Lanyard Hack - Adjustable Lanyard

Greetings, Instructables community!

I work in an environment that requires me to wear a name badge. This environment also requires me to dress smart. Because, hey, who doesn’t like menswear that is smarter! The problem is that I do not want to clip or pin my badge to my dress shirts, so I choose to wear a lanyard.

The problem with a lanyard is that while sitting at my desk, it hangs so low that it catches on my desk. This could damage my name badge or worse damage my shirt!

I decided to hack my lanyard to make it adjustable length. This way I can wear it up at my desk and down when on the go.

This is how it was easily done.

Step 1: Materials

The materials and tools are simple everyday items.

  • A lanyard
  • 2 small bolts or washers (Large enough that the lanyard can fit through it twice.)
  • A paperclip
  • Super glue

Tools

  • Scissors
  • Wire cutters
  • A couple of binder clips

Step 2: Cut It Out!

Lay out the lanyard flat and straight.

At the looping end, opposite the badge, cut through with the scissors.

Step 3: Just Add Nuts

  1. Pinching one cut end of the lanyard, feed it through one of the nuts.
  2. Repeat with the other end and other nut.
  3. Move the nuts about halfway down the length of the lanyard.
  4. Now, feed one of the cut ends backwards through the opposite nut.
  5. Lay the already threaded lanyard flat
  6. Lay the new end on top and pinch both together lengthwise.
  7. While it is pinched, pull the original lanyard gently back through the nut enough to work the new end through.
  8. Repeat for the other end.
  9. Now each half of the lanyard feed through both of the nuts.

Step 4: The End Is Near

  1. Unfold the paperclip into a straight piece of wire.
  2. Using the wire cutters, snip off a piece of the wire the same width as the flattened lanyard end.
  3. Lay the wire snip on the lanyard near the cut end.
  4. Add a small amount of superglue to the wire.
  5. Fold the end of the lanyard over the glue and wire.
  6. Clip the end with the binder clips until they are dry.

Take care not to use too much glue that you end up gluing the binder clip to the lanyard!

Step 5: Finish It!

That is it!

To shorten the lanyard, pull both the nuts in opposite directions.

To lengthen the lanyard, pull only the two single layers of the lanyard in opposite directions.

You now just easily hacked a lanyard to make it adjustable.

You can wear your name badge without having to sacrifice style and fashion and still be able to perform the rigors of an active work life!

Enjoy!

And as always, thanks for checking out my instructable!