Returning to the office a year ago after a few years of working from home – and with some continuing to work from home part-time – it was difficult to remember colleagues’ names – particularly new staff who’d commenced during COVID.

Making some name badges people would like to wear was an answer.

I’ve made over 50 now, mainly using the remains of old projects – some canes were 10 years old. I also used some of the techniques in this post. They are quite light, and use magnets to attach to clothing instead of a pin. The backs (#5 on my Atlas pasta machine) have a gap for the magnets. I extruded black clay to make the names which are on backing also at #5 thickness. The middle patterned section is slightly thicker at #4. I baked the name and the back, then put together with the middle patterned piece with some liquid clay. To stop the badges dropping into the magnet gap, I temporarily put small pieces of thin baked clay, wrapped in paper, in the gap.