How to make our luggage stand out?

[MickeyMonstersMom]

After what seemed like hours of trying to distinguish my bland, black luggage from the rest at the airport last time, I went out and bought some bright pieces, letting each family member choose a distinctive color - lime green for me, in fact . Even so, I'd like to add something to the luggage to make it even more obvious that it's ours. I was thinking of puff paint, or attaching iron-on decals or patches with super glue. Has anyone done this, or anything similar? Tips are appreciated!

 

[tikkipoo]

Once at the airport I saw a guy who had all his stuff in a plastic trash bag. It was pretty distinguishable!
Your ideas all sound great! I have not seen anything with paint on the front before.

 

[my3kids]

We have a lot of black bags also. I bought some mesh netting in the fabric department...the kind of stiff stuff that would make a crinoline stay out but make the little girl all scratchy. Anyway, I got a bright color and tied a handful around each handle so all ours look the same.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

I went and bought a set of Leopard print luggage. My daughter's print looks like denim jeans, with pockets all over it. My DH's is still black, but it does have a bright blue tags. We usually tie a ribbon to the top too.

I swear one day we will see an all-out brawl over the luggage. I did see a woman once in Vegas chasing someone down, to retrieve her luggage. The person who took it, was convinced it was their's. I also always chuckle at the guy, standing by the carousel, picking up EVERY single piece of black luggage, and then setting it back down.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I'm not sure what they are called, but I have big straps that go around the entire suitcase. They are striped in bright colors. We also have black luggage and it really helps ours stand out from 95% of the other black luggage.

I bought them at Wal-Mart.

 

[dreamerAl]

I read somewhere that going to Home Depot and getting a few Disney paint colour sample cards, then attaching them to your suitcase was a neat way of ID'ing you luggage.

 

[Tinkim]

We have had this problem also. My MIL sent me a GC for LL Bean for Christmas and I used mine to get my daughter a new bag as her little suitcase was getting too small. She got a bright pink bag with a hibiscus flower design on it. There was no mistaking that bag! I did see one other LL Bean bag like that but it was the blue one. I have a blue rolling duffle and I sewed a Disney patch with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy on there plus it has a Mickey zipper pull on it. My son has a black duffle with wheels and I tied my DD's pink Tinkerbell hankerchief on it. We also all have silver WDW luggage tags that I use every trip. I saw bags in Orlando with ribbons, bright luggage straps, paint, and even duct tape on them. I like the puffy fabric paint idea too. Even though our bags were easy to spot we still waited for an hour for our luggage to come around so I dread to think how long it would have taken to locate our luggage had it been the nondescript black bags on top of the hour-long wait.

 

[Savin4Disney]

My Step mom told me someone at work spray paints on thiers. I am not sure I would go that far. I do have black so I too will be figuring out how to make it look like it is mine.

I would like to do Disney stuff but think I might not want people to see me when Traveling for business.

 

[Tinkim]

savin4disney ~ I don't travel for business so I didn't think of that but the luggage tags can be removed and I have seen the Disney bandanas at the Dollar Stores around here. You could always tie one of those on and then remove it when needed.

 

[Bubby4Clay]

I bought about 2 yds of 2" wide dark purple ribbon. I wrapped both the side and top handles. It's very easy to spot among all those black bags.

 

[momof2OH]

Our family all has the famous black luggage too. What I did wad paint Mickey heads on our luggage. My DD's are purple and pink, my mom's are blue and yellow, my DS's are red and gold and mine are all different colors. I also painted the Evil Queen on mine. Makes it very easy to see.

 

[NotUrsula]

I have conventional business-card laminated luggage tags, but I went and got some prismatic mylar gift wrap and covered the back of the luggage tags with it using waterproof adhesive. I also tie pieces of prismatic gift ribbon around the handles. Now my black luggage glints under the lights; I can see it shining as soon as it leaves the chute!

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

 

[*Fantasia*]

How about tying a big bright balloons? Would they allow that? but then again, by the time they make it to the conveyor, the balloons would already have popped. Well...maybe not easily with mylar. They are much stronger. Then on the way back, use the Mickey balloons, the ones that they sell at MK! For sure, they'll know you just came from Disney!

Usually I'm the only ones that have the Walt Disney luggages, with Mickey tags on them, then sometimes, I put a big bright ribbon, just to make sure.

Trash bags isn't such a bad idea. Or how about using big boxes, not a lot of people do that.

 

[officer tigger]

We tie red yarn around the handle of each of our suitcases. Real easy to see the moment the bags come out.

 

[pjlla]

Usually a length of brightly colored ribbon tied on the handle will suffice. But tie it on tight. On our last trip I had some leftover animal print ribbon from another project. I had looped it around the handles... but by the time we arrived back at home one of the pieces of ribbon had disappeared! I'll tie it tighter next time!

And BTW, it is not just black that is common... most dark colors are common. Our luggage is dark cranberry and it still blends in with all of the other luggage! I will be buying a length of bright neon ribbon for each luggage this time!..........P

 

[Amberle3]

Even so, I'd like to add something to the luggage to make it even more obvious that it's ours. I was thinking of puff paint, or attaching iron-on decals or patches with super glue. Has anyone done this, or anything similar? Tips are appreciated!

I used fabric paint on mine:

 

[inkkognito]

We travel very frequently and had our luggage taken accidentally by someone else once (at the cruise terminal, not the airport...it made a side journey with them to another state before returning home to us). We noticed that a lot of people use ribbons and the bands that you can buy, so my husband came up with the male solution to every problem: duct tape! You can get it in white or a variety of colors. He stuck huge strips to our bags. We travel at least twice a month, and it sticks for months at a time before needing to be replaced.
Barb

 

[bytheblood]

I mark our with our very own luggage tags. I get the larger rectangle luggage tags and modify them with Mickey heads, scrapbook papers and other items of the sort. I use eyelets to make the hole for the string or ribbon, so that it cannot be torn from the smaller tags that go on our carry-ons. They are very cute and nobody else has anything like them.

 

[bytheblood]

I used fabric paint on mine:

Those are very cute, however I personally would not put the time and effort into doing that to my luggage because of the way the airlines throw it around.