Category Archives: Elastic String

Choir Folders with Strings

Choir, band, orchestra—the hallmarks of a well-rounded education from middle school on up, as well as the passion of thousands of dedicated musicians who spend their lives filling the world with glorious sounds. While the musicians and directors themselves are laser-focused on practicing their craft and keeping their instruments in top shape, there is one piece of hard-working music equipment they often take for granted: their choir folders with strings.

If you manufacture choral folders or music binders, elastic string and chords are an integral part of keeping the musicians’ sheet music and pencils together through long hours of rehearsal and nights of touring. Elastic Connections supplies high-quality, durable bulk elastic cords for music binder and choral folder manufacturers. We can cut elastic chords to specifications, or ship standard bulk sizes ready for immediate production.

Choir Folder with String

Choir Folder with String

Our bulk elastic string and cord for music folders keeps all the sheet music in place and is sturdy enough to handle the most demanding practice and travel schedules. Our elastic cords can also be incorporated into special features like pen or pencil holders so musicians can quickly write notes the need and not constantly lose their writing implements.

We can also supply bulk elastic chords for music folder manufacturers to keep on hand to sell as replacements should heavy use lead to broken chords, as is frequently the case, particularly for high school and college bands and choirs that see heavy, often rambunctious use.

For professional performers, our music folder elastic chords are classy basic black so they fit seamlessly into the binder so as not to distract during a performance, while being sturdy enough to get the job done and keep music where it needs to be.

Music binder and choral folder manufacturers looking for bulk quantities of elastic chord, either for product production or to create replacement packages, can contact Elastic Connections today at 847-426-6830 to discuss lengths, widths and quantities.

Elastic Tying String for Bundling Produce

Real food is a big deal; consumer demand for quality produce has never been bigger as more people are turning away from boxed and packaged foods and back to real, natural foods: fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. And demand isn’t only growing in the domestic market; a growing world population needs more food annually. If you’re in the agriculture market, you know that getting your produce from farm to table requires more than just growing and hauling. Packaging is essential to safe transport and marketing efforts. Produce such as green onions, parsley, cilantro, carrots and other items that are sold in bunches at the store require elastic tying string for bundling.

Elastic Connections sells a wide variety of bulk elastic tying string options for bundling produce that falls under two categories:

Knotted Individual Pieces of Elastic Tying String for Bundling Produce by Hand

This is a good option for smaller farming operations taking large orders to farmers markets and expanding into bigger markets as well. We produce bulk amounts of the knotted, individual pieces of elastic tying string that make it quick and easy to hand-bundle anything from onions and carrots to chives, rosemary and cilantro (and everything else that needs bunching and bundling).

Bulk Elastic Tying String for Bundling Produce by Machine

For farms that own their own automatic produce banding machines, we also do bulk elastic tying string orders that come on spools. Simply tell us the type of machine you have and we can custom produce bulk amounts of elastic tying string you can use to quickly, yet gently bundle lots of produce to get it ready for market.

To order bulk elastic tying string for bundling fruits, vegetables and herbs, contact Elastic Connections at 847-426-6830 today. We can fulfill custom requirements for your produce bundling needs, including different widths, colors and lengths that will fit your branding needs, your bundling machine needs, or your hand-bundling needs.

Elastic Yarn and String for Manufacturing Hair Nets

With the recent spate of food contamination incidents across the country, the demand for bulk orders of protective clothing for food prep workers has increased. No matter which part of the food supply chain is involved, items like hair nets, masks and other protective clothing are essential to the quality of the end product—there’s even an increasing demand for beard nets today.

Hair and Beard Nets

But it’s not only the food industry that requires these elastic yarn components: medical and research laboratories, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, high-tech manufacturing companies and many other industries where hair, fingerprints and dust are forbidden require bulk orders of hair nets, beard nets, masks, elastic booties that go on over shoes, etc.

Because there are so many different industrial and commercial applications for hair nets and similar protective clothing items, manufacturers usually need to produce hair nets using elastic yarn in different gauges, with different elongation requirements, in a variety of colors, etc. At Elastic Connections, we fulfill bulk orders for custom elastic yarn for hair nets, beard nets, masks, etc.

A custom elastic yarn order starts with a 3-inch sample of the fabric you want to use. Going from this, we can produce bulk elastic yarn orders for your food industry, medical, laboratory or manufacturing hair nets, beard nets, booties, face mask, etc. These are some of the elements we can customize for your project:

  • Color (From the sample, you provide, we can match the custom elastic yarn to the desired fabric color.)
  • Rubber gauge (We can create a custom elastic thickness and composition at a gauge perfect for your application.)
  • Yarn type (There are several types of elastic yarn types that work best in different applications. We can find the one that’s right for your order.)
  • Elongation requirements (How far does the elastic yarn need to stretch?)

To discuss elastic yarn for hair nets, beard nets, booties or masks, contact Elastic Connections at 847-426-6830 today.

Elastic Tying String for 2016 Florist Trends

The floristry industry is set to bloom in 2016 as the economy continues to grow. The demand for flower arrangements, bouquets, wedding and event décor, and more is up! So florists, stock up now on bulk elastic tying string to stun with these floral design trends:

Festival — Vibrant, hot colors combined with rustic, world-market accents such as fabrics, wood, beads, brightly-colored glass or fascinating ceramics. Use elastic tying string to bundle chrysanthemums, roses, gerbera, delphinium, sunflowers and other richly-colored flowers.

Sorbet — Taking its inspiration from the frozen treat, this trend is a combination of soft, springy pastels with bright pops of color interspersed. Cymbidium, tulips, lilies are set off with roses, delphinium, etc. Bundle with elastic tying string and arrange in uniquely-shaped, modern vessels of light-colored glass, ceramic, potentially accented with denim, wood or cork.

Lustre — A formal floral trend, particularly hot for events and weddings. Use metallic accents — gold, silver, mirror and bronze vessels with a high gloss — and include jewelry-like accents that sparkle. Use boldly shaped flowers ranging from crisp white to cream and pink blush. Think calla lilies, ranunculus, spray roses, and stock, combined with metallic leaf and floral accents.

Lavish — All about romance, the hues here run from red to blush with roses, carnations and dahlias, interspersed with stock and purple hypericum berries. Tie these flowers together with elastic tying string and place in antique or vintage-inspired gold, brass, crystal-shaped glass and candelabra-inspired vessels along with velvet and satin accents.  

When developing floral designs, remember that 2016 is the year for Pantone’s blushing Rose Quartz (13-1520) and cool Serenity (15-3919), a refreshing combination with a range of potential color pairings from Orchid Haze and Silver Gray to Lentil Sprout, Cocoon and Sphinx.

Stock up now on elastic tying string for dramatic floral arrangements, and don’t forget to order plenty of flat knitted elastic to prepare for corsages when prom season hits. Contact Elastic Connections at 847-426-6830 to discuss your needs.

Elastic String for Travel Luggage Tags

Airlines, cruise ship companies, river barge cruise directors, passenger railway travel companies, etc. are constantly competing for travelers. One very simple, necessary, yet often overlooked way to streamline travel and improve the customer experience is this: elastic string for travel luggage tags. Every travel company needs a way to help themselves and their customers track luggage properly; why not also use these tags as a way to cement that company-traveler relationship by making the tag itself a value-added item?

  1. Travel Tags with Elastic String—Create sturdy tags that attach easily with elastic loops to your customers’ bags. While the check-in employees may need to use those sturdy tape tags for system purposes, always offer your travelers the option of attaching a personal tag at check in in case they’ve forgotten theirs. Remind them to use a mobile number, but to skimp on other personal information for emergency contact purposes.
  2. QR Codes with Special Offers—Expand the travel tag’s usefulness by printing a QR code customers can use to access discounts and special offers that will improve their travel experiences.
  3. Mobile Destination Tips—Business in the front, party in the back: Let travelers use the front for emergency contact information (and you for branding), but use the back to provide helpful tips or insider information on their travel destination. Sharing travel secrets with your customers on how to improve their experience or visit places they hadn’t considered will take their trip from ordinary to extraordinary. Using elastic loops to attach the tag makes it easy for your travelers to tuck the tag in a pocket, purse or book for future reference.

It may look like just a travel tag, but it could mean so much more to your travelers with a little extra thought and design. Contact Elastic Connections today at 847-426-6830 to place your bulk order for elastic loops for luggage tags and give your travelers another reason to revisit you.

luggage tags

Bulk Elastic for Mask Manufacturing – Not Just for Halloween

Mask manufacturing used to see its biggest push around Halloween, but recent pop culture trends are making mask manufacturing a year-round business opportunity. If your company wants to keep the profits rolling throughout the year by following these mask production trends, make sure you have plenty of mask elastic in stock to meet growing demands.

Elastic for Masquerade Masks

Masquerade balls and parties are becoming more popular all around the year. Any of these styles would fly at Halloween as well as any other holiday masked ball:

  • Filigree masks—Like layering skin-hugging lace across the face, these elegant masks are truly hot for any occasion where masks are in demand. Most commonly appearing in black, but also in other colors, bulk mask elastic is available in many colors to fit the style you’re manufacturing.
  • Classic Venetian Mardi Gras Masks—Mardi Gras or Carnival masks are obviously in demand long after Halloween, as well as on cruise ships. These solid design masks come in every color under the sun, as do our options for mask elastic.

Elastic for Cosplay Masks

The cosplay trend has exploded with every kind of con(vention) you can imagine where thousands of fans of different types of movie, comic book and anime genres come together to dress up and pretend to be their favorite characters. Masks are a huge part of the trend and an essential part of the many disguises and costumes that people are willing to shell out the big bucks to wear. Mask manufacturers can get in on the trend by designing and producing more masks depicting trending characters at these conventions. Just make sure not to run out of mask elastic at the factory.

Mask Elastic String

If you’re mass producing masks at your facility and need the elastic to affix them securely and carefully to the wide range of head shapes and hairstyles of the end customers, contact Elastic Connections today at 847-426-6830.  We stock mask elastic string as small as .040″ diameter or spooled elastic up to 2.4mm diameter.

Hang Tag Design Trends

The hang tag is hot in merchandising across many consumer markets right now. Everyone from clothing designers and chocolatiers to condiment makers and high-end cosmetics and personal care products merchandisers are going in for highly-customized, brand-awareness-boosting hang tags, attached to the product with hang tag elastic. Some of the designs are so great, consumers use them as bookmarks, elastic loops and all, once the product is unwrapped. Here are some of the hottest trends in elastic hang tag design now:

  • Die-Cut—Not just square or rectangle… it could be the shape of a bird, a flower, a moon, a retro luggage tag or anything else; whatever speaks to your brand message. All it needs is a hole at the top for the elastic thread to loop through and attach to the product.
  • Typography—It used to be just a way to convey essential information, but now fonts are as much a part of the design as the color, shape or other graphics. Many merchandisers are opting to have their own fonts designed to completely set their brand apart from the Helvetica-using crowd and convey uniqueness.
  • Elastic Loop Attachment—Elastic hang tag attachments are as much about form as they are about function, and designers today (as well as consumers) love when the two go hand-in-hand, as they do with elastic cord. From metallic, colored elastic cord (for high-end products) to matte elastic cord (for products broadcasting their “natural” connection), elastic cord makes attaching hang tags to product so much easier and stylish than other potential fasteners.
  • Retro is Forever—Graphic designers are decade-hopping more than ever. The psychedelic 60s never seems to get old, not to mention turn-of-the-century “antique-ness.” Designers are even bringing back the bold colors of the 80s and 90s as well. It all depends on your branding strategy.

If you’ve got a big hang tag product merchandising project, contact Elastic Connections at 847-426-6830 to discuss the best elastic cord for your tags.

Hang Tags

Elastic String for Jewelry Manufacturing

The market for jewelry is finally bouncing back after a long recession, and consumers young and old are eager to sparkle from head to toe. Riding the up-surging jewelry demand wave means being able to fit as many consumers’ jewelry tastes and sizes as possible. Achieving this flexibility involves incorporating elastic string into jewelry and beading en masse to fit today’s demand for both style and flexibility:

  • Big Bracelets—The bling today is big, bold, and needs to fit over a wide assortment of hands and wrists. Jewelry manufacturers are turning to bulk spooled elastic cord, made of polyester in an entire rainbow of colors to fill this demand.
  • Foot Jewelry—There is a growing consumer excitement over anklets and barefoot sandal adornments. Elastic cord on spools is essential for manufacturing designs that can comfortably and durably fit a wide variety of feet.
  • Hair Jewelry—It isn’t just for brides and prom dates anymore; jewelry manufacturers looking for a way to stand out are venturing into hair jewelry. Because heads and hair volumes differ from person to person, stretchy elastic cord for jewelry manufacturing can help your project attract a wider market.
  • Necklaces—Big, sparkly necklaces of all kinds are taking the stage now, but these do not always benefit from being on elastic cord; in this case, twisted rayon cord on spools can better hold up in a wide variety of lengths and bauble weights.

Elastic Connections has a wide variety of spooled elastic for stretchy jewelry manufacturing ranging from 1 mm all the way to 2.4 mm. For more delicate designs, consider our spooled elastic thread or elastic string (often used in the apparel industry) that goes all the way down to 0.5 mm. We also have several widths of twisted rayon cord that may fit many of today’s jewelry manufacturing projects. Contact Elastic Connections today at 847-426-6830 to discuss which elastic string or twisted cord might best fit your needs.

Glass Jar Merchandising with Elastic String Tags

Glass jars—they’re so classic, so simple, so timeless, and so great for merchandising. Many product merchandisers are turning to glass jars for everything from luxury toiletries to bake-in-the-jar cakes to even unconventional ideas like accessory packaging (scarves, gloves, jewelry and even socks) to moonshine! Here are a few reasons products packaged in glass jars with elastic string tags are a great option:

  1. They convey the feeling of “handcrafted” and “homemade” that consumers increasingly crave. Remember those long summer days canning preserves at grandma’s house? Consumers are turning away from anything that says “I’ve been mass-produced” to things that say, “I was crafted with care.” So even if your product is produce on a large scale, glass jars paired with elastic string merchandising tags let customers know that your product is made with love.
  2. Glass jars are earth friendly packaging at its best, and for a lot of reasons. They don’t exude all the chemicals that plastic does, with all of the potential health concerns they may have. This makes glass an excellent choice for food and beverage packaging. Glass jars are recyclable pretty much everywhere, so they don’t end up in landfills. What’s more, there are a lot of consumers who like to wash out and keep glass jars once your product has been consumed and re-purpose them for other things. Glass jar merchandising is a win-win no matter how you look at it.
  3. Glass jars are flexible packaging options. And by flexible, we mean that you can use them for just about anything. All kinds of gourmet food and drink items, all sorts of luxury bath items from sugar scrubs to oils, from powders to candles etc. They all go great in glass jars with elastic string tag labels.

Do glass jars speak to you as a potential product packaging option? If so, contact Elastic Connections today for elastic string tags for your labels at 847-426-6830.

The Best Costume Ideas Need Barbed Elastic Strings for Masks

While most people haven’t even thought about their costume at this point, costume manufacturers are hard at work creating a fresh batch of costumes based on trendy happenings, the hottest celebrities and pop culture events. The best costumes allow people to be their favorite character for the night, but it’s no fun dressing up if the costume isn’t comfortable. Masks can be especially problematic, so it’s important that the barbed elastic mask strings are high quality so the mask stays comfortably in place.

When its time to buy elastic string for face masks, you may want to stock a variety of colors to complement the design of the costume. Black and white go with almost everything, but zombies look great with red barbed elastic mask strings.

Princesses Anna and Elsa from Disney’s Frozen franchise need special colors. Elsa needs blue mask elastic with barbs of silver to match her fabulous gown, while sister Anna may want a dark green or even gold. Expect that Katnis from the Hunger Games will be popular this fall as well when the excitement about the release of last movie in that series reaches a fever pitch.

Celebs like Beyonce or one of the Kardashians are popular characters for costumes and they require masks to complete the look. There are perennial costume favorites such as ghosts, witches, nurses and animals that are not complete without a mask.

There’s never a shortage of costume ideas, and the season will be here before we know it. Costume manufacturers should be planning their mask production schedules and ordering the necessary inventory of barbed elastic mask strings.

Regardless of the costume your customer selects, for safety as well as aesthetic reasons the barbed elastic cord for masks should complement the costume’s colors and be sturdy enough to hold the mask in place.