Girl Scouts announced this month that the Make Your Own Badge website would be closing in June. (Ironically partnered with a photo of girls celebrating.) It’s led to a lot of negative feedback on social media.
What are your options now?
With only 20-some badges per level in the existing system, it may feel frustrating that the Make Your Own Badge system is ending…even though the option was never well publicized beyond printing in the Girls Guide to Gitl Scouting. (And let’s be honest, the cost of the badge books is prohibitive to many girls, so troops might have had one master copy.)
My daughter is trying out the Make Your Own Badge for the first time as a Cadette, doing her own program on the intersection of food and faith.
Not as limited as you think
In the past, we have always tied in personal interests with council’s own badges and patches or retired Girl Scout badges.
There are many trading groups online. Some of my favorites:
- Girl Scout Treasure Hunters
- Girl Scout Badge Swap
- Girl Scout Sell/Swap
- Girl Scout Interest Project Page
There are also embroidery shops and Facebook groups that will help recreate retired Interest Project awards. (And get a copy of an old retired IP badge book online.)
You can also turn current badges on their side. We twisted the Trees badge to fit a Star Wars theme. I’ve seen journeys with a Harry potter theme as well.
You also – shocking as it may sound – don’t have to earn a badge or patch for everything your troop does. Sometimes the memories alone suffice!
Use Resources Wisely 
I only used the site once. I found it to be prohibitively expensive and the patch was simply printed, not embroidered. For $5 a patch, I expect embroidery. I’m sorry it is going but hopefully they will just revamp it.
LikeLike
I purchased fabric sheets that go through an Inkjet Printer, made the couple of copies I needed, cut them in a circle and zigzagged the edges. The girls are thrilled to earn badges their moms earned!
LikeLike
I love the creativity in this.
LikeLike
Opps, not a circle, a rectangle like the original IPS
LikeLike
Have you heard of troops own badges? Are they able to go on front of the uniform? You said embroidery stores recreating old badges. Are they then able to go on the front of the uniform? My girls want the options of the old IP badges but finding them that don’t cost a ton of very hard. Thanks.
LikeLike