Need Some Opinions On Shirts

[Danielle]

I apologize in advance that this will be a bit long.

I care for a small number of kiddos full time so we try to get out of the house often. If nothing else, we go to story time at the library every Wednesday. I really liked Little People's idea of shirts for daycare and was going to order one for myself. Then I thought that the kids should have one too. I have 2-4 year olds and we all know how fast they grow. Ordering shirts just didn't seem cost effective. So, I'm making them myself.

I need help with placement of things. I made a logo with the transfer template and I also have a short Poem I was going to put on my shirt.

The poem:

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was,
the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...
but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

The logo:


Here are my ideas. But I can't decide and am open to other ideas.
For my shirt (sn: I always have business cards on me):
1: front: pocket design...not sure what??
back: logo with poem under it
2:Front:logo
back: poem with daycare name (website and/or phone number?)

Kids shirts:
1: front: pocket design:daycare name and number (thought this would be a good idea for if someone got separated..the number is my google voice number that's forwarded to my cell)
back: logo
2: front: logo
back: Daycare name, website, phone number
3:front: logo
back: nothing

I'm on the fence if my number on their shirts is a good idea. I've thought about getting bracelets for my number. Like these (not necessarily this website, it's just the first I found to show what I mean)

http://www.wristbands.com.au/wristbands/index.html

What do you think??

[AnythingsPossible]

I like the second option for your shirt and the third for the kids.

As far as the bracelets go, you could make bracelets with your number on them using pony beads and numbered beads. That way they would be reusable. I didn't check the price of the other ones though, they may not be to bad.

You could order the shirts in a childrens md or lg and they would be big on the kids, but they wouldn't outgrow them!

I made sweatshirts for my girls for the superbowl as they wanted to cheer for opposing teams, I used the iron on transfer sheets that you can print out on your computer, after the first washing, the design came off. You might want to try one, before you do them all.

[Little People]

Just remember to make your lettering BOLD & BRIGHT (like my pics I sent you). You want your shirts to stand out so people WILL read them. I wear my shirts ALL the time. I have had people to stop me in Wal Mart, Target and even the movies and ask me about my childcare.

I made these orange flyers (book style) and I have a card attached to them too and when someone stops me I talk a little and then I hand them 3 flyers and tell them here is a couple for your friends or family members with children. I also tell them to go to my website and I have lots of great information and pictures.

I have had several calls from my shirts. I wear them so much that some are starting to fade a little but those I wear everyday here at home and I have 3 that I only wear out to stores.

I like that the back of my shirts I had the AREA of my daycare in BOLD letters. This was people know about where I am (you seen this in my pics).

Good Luck on your shirts!! Can you make you NAME in color and more bold??

[countrymom]

how do you make them yourself, I need some and some for the kids, we too go out and I want the kids to wear something I can see them in.

[Danielle]

I'm using Avery iron on transfers. I've used them before and found that as long as you wash them on gentle cycle, inside out and line dry, they last well. So, the shirts will not be going home with the kids.

I could change the lettering but I've already printed them. I may be able to use a bright color around the letters (like a shadow...hard to explain what I mean). I found a neat idea. Who knew you could draw on iron on transfers!? I did a test one with regular old Crayola crayons. It worked. So that's how I'll add the shadowing.

[Danielle]

Oh! And I like the flyer idea!! You have such good ideas!


AnythingsPossible- I've tried making bracelets like that before...some of the kids won't keep them on.

[Little People]

Oh! And I like the flyer idea!! You have such good ideas!


AnythingsPossible- I've tried making bracelets like that before...some of the kids won't keep them on.

I have 25+ years of stuff stored in my head ::::::::

[marniewon]

As far as the bracelets go, you could make bracelets with your number on them using pony beads and numbered beads. That way they would be reusable. I didn't check the price of the other ones though, they may not be to bad.

The only problem I can see with having your number on the bracelets is....do you really want just any stranger that close to your dck's to be able to read the number?? I would just put the number on the shirts, that way people can see it without having to get too close. Even if there wasn't any "stranger danger", I doubt anyone walking by would even be able to see that there was a number on the bracelets. Just my opinion.

[Danielle]

Actually I would. The bracelet would only be if they got seperated from us and lost...not for advertisement. I'm working on teaching them about strangers and about strangers that are there to help: police, zoo workers, librarians, ect. If they got lost, I would hope they would approch someone and ask for help. Then the person could call me.

[Michael]

Also a suggestion for ALL businesses to get your company/business domain name. If you decide to promote someone else’s' brand that you do not own you may be left in the dark if that website goes out of business.

Dani I suggest you Register:
MamaDani.com
MamaDaniChildCare.com

When you tell someone your web address, it makes sense to promote your brand ".com"

Try telling someone "go to my website at Mama Dani dot webs dot com" or would it be more memorable to say "Mama Dani dot com" ?

You may not build your own website at this point but it would be a good idea to register it for now or later use. You would be surprised how many daycare have the same name in our registry. Only ONE can own the name with the .com

My son owns Jonathan.com, you can bet there are millions of other Jonathan's that wanted that name. Your registered name should not cost more than $10 a year. It is worth it.

[Michael]

One of our members asked me about registering a domain name. I realized that once you pruchase your name .com you can point that name to frame around your Webs address. You would be able to use your new domain name and have the content on Webs showing up. That way you are promoting YOUR name address but using the content your created on your Webs account. Hope that makes sense.

Look at the attachement picture. See how the URL Address is your domain name and the content is Webs. That was you will always control your domain name. If you choose to move from webs to weebly, all you do is point your domain name to the new content site. Since you own your domain name you choose what and where you want the content to come from.

[Abigail]

I never heard of this quote until today and lone-behold I went to the web site of the preschool open house I attended today and they have it too!

[Danielle]

Yea, I spent quite awhile searching the internet for a quote and I really liked that one.

Update:
My shirt came out ok. It will work for now but I will be ordering one for myself. The kids' shirts failed miserably! It suggested washing before wearing and theirs peeled and cracked. I'll update with plan B and pictures later.