Men’s tie tacks are a little expensive, but when you purchase the naked tie tack and add your own embellishments, you can have an expensive-looking tie tack for a fraction of the cost. The tie tacks can be purchased at a craft store, but the package won’t say “tie tacks”. Instead, the hardware will probably be labeled “pins”. The tie tacks, or pins, are small and round with a snap-on back. The pins are available in the style where you glue the object onto the pin, or you can purchase the ones which have a peel-off sticker for attaching the charm to the pin. They come in a pack of several, so you can make a few different types of tie tacks. And while you’re there, look around and find an assortment of things to put on your pin. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1) For a Sunday tie tack, glue a little gold cross on the pin. If it looks like you’ll be able to see the pin after attaching the cross, first put metallic leaves on the pin, or a thin, flat stone, then the cross.
2) Tiny monograms are inexpensive and come in gold, silver or bronze tones. Glue the letter onto the pin and let dry. Use a quick-dry glue to set the monogram and you’ll be wearing it in no time.
3) Teachers can make a tie tack by painting a small wooden schoolhouse, an “A+”, or even an apple and attaching it to the tie tack.
4) Use crafting clay to make and paint any shape you can think of. The clay can be molded or just formed, then attached to the pin. Some of these types of clays have to be baked. Choose a no-bake clay or bake the design without the pin attached.
5) For assorted holidays, make a pin with a Santa, a black cat, an Easter bunny, a pumpkin or a red heart.
6) Have a favorite sports team? Some craft stores sell small logos of sports teams which you can use to make your tie tack.
7) Most any button makes a cute tie tack - the more unique the button, the more unique the tie pin.
8) Craft stores have hundreds of miniatures. Choose your favorite mini animal, like a lion, and use it for your new tack. You can purchase animals of all sorts, mini palm trees, starfish, frogs, lady bugs, birds, or even rocks.
9) For a graduating senior, buy a miniature diploma to make a tie tack. Or, the craft store has mini caps, mini gowns and mini plaques that display the year.
10) Look at the Native American section of the craft store to see if they have ceramic arrowheads. They often come in different sizes and colors and make a great tie pin.
11) New fathers can make a tie tack that says “It’s A Girl” or “It’s A Boy” or just ones that have a pink or blue bottle, rattle or rocking horse.
Other ideas include using a bobby pin, decorating it with charms or trinkets and using it for a tie tack.
