Tips and Tricks for keeping your Poppy attached to your lapel

According to the Canada’s Royal Canadian Legion website, the lapel Poppies that are worn in Canada today were first made, beginning in 1922, by disabled veterans under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment. Until 1996, Poppy material was made at the “Vetcraft” sheltered workshops run by Veterans Affairs Canada in Montreal and Toronto. The work provided a small source of income for disabled ex-service persons and their dependants, allowing them to take an active part in maintaining the tradition of Remembrance.

When it no longer became practical for Veterans Affairs Canada to maintain the “Vetcraft” operations, the Legion volunteered to take on the continuing responsibility for the production of Poppies.  In so doing, Dominion Command has awarded a production contract to a private company to produce the Poppies but all operations are conducted under strict Legion control and oversight.

How ever it is made Canadians understand its significance: a visible symbol to demonstrate our remembrance of those who died in battle.  The Royal Canadian Legion uses the funds from the sale of the Poppies to support veterans and their families across the country.

However, many of us have trouble keeping the Poppy attached to our lapel.  So we decided to ask our readers for tips and tricks for keeping the Poppy attached.

These are samples of their responses:

Remove the pin needle and put a Canadian Flag or Veterans Poppy pin or Support Our Troops mini pin through the centre

Remove the eraser from a pencil and place it on the tip of the pin. This holds it in place as well as ensures you won’t get pricked

Use an earring backs to the pin to secure it and prevent getting pricked

Use a safety pin through the back to secure it to your clothing

Bend the pin so that the pin faces out and you don’t get pricked

Weave the pin through your clothing.

Some MFRC’s carry black pins shaped like the centre of the poppy.

Add sticky tac to the back of the pin

Here are the most unique:

“I purchased from Mainland BC MFRC the very tiny Support Our Troops pin originally intended to be used as a tie clip and place it in the centre of the poppy.”  — Heather Garrison

“Just put a small piece of an elastic band onto the pin above the point where it goes through your clothes and then it can never slip out.” — Alex Hart

“My daughters school sold ‘Poppy Savers’ a couple years ago. It’s a pin that looks like the center of the poppy.” — Miranda Boudreau

“We go and get a backing from the craft store and hot glue it on the poppy. This way we get rid of the pin and have a safe way for our kids and us to wear them without being poked.” — Kim Rozak-Turple

“I wear the “poppy lapel pin” from The Royal British Legion. They have pins, earrings, cuff links, ties, scarves, t-shirts and all kinds of merchandise.`– Amanda Anderson

“I stitch the poppy on to hubbys slip-on; as a trucker, it gets nudged off many times a day otherwise, I also stitch them on our jackets to keep the kids from getting pricked.” — Min Parker

“I took the shank off of an old rank or collar dog and place it through the center of the poppy securing it in place with the locking tab, guaranteed never to come off.” — David Triff.

To learn more about the Poppy and its historical significance on Remembrance Day in Canada visit the Legion website for more information.