39 Uses for Your "We Can Do It!" Bandana and the Connection to Duck Tape
"What can I do with my We Can Do It! Rosie the Riveter bandana?"
That's a question we've often been asked -- especially when we introduced our 2-for-1 bandanas that are seconds. (More about that in a minute.)
So, with a nod to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "Let me count the ways", we've put together a list of uses for your red-and-white polka dot, "We Can Do It!" bandanas. If you have additional suggestions, let us know. We'd love to add more uses to our expanding ways to celebrate Rosie the Riveter.
Nevertheless, She Persisted
AND, If you read to the end of our list, we've give you a link to yesterday's article on a World War II woman ordnance worker (WOW) who persisted and created a product was at least as many uses as our Rosie the RIveter polkadot bandanas.
[Once you read all these fun things to do with a Rosie's Legacy Bandana, you just may want one (or two) for yourself and for a friend or family member. Just click here to go to our Etsy Store where we have the authentic, red and white polka dot bandanas and even more Rosie the Riveter goodies.]
#1. Tie your Rosie's Legacy Bandana around your head and portray your inner "We Can Do It!"
#2. Wear (on your head, as a scarf, dangling from a pocket) your Rosie Bandana to a a party and take a second one along as a hostess gift.
#3. Protect your neck from mosquitoes by tying your bandana snug around your neck.
#4. Dip your red and white polka dot bandana in a cool mountain stream (or in cold water from the faucet) and tie it around your neck on the next hot day. (And, boy has it been hot this summer.)
#5. Pack a lunch (or two) inside your huge Rosie Bandana, tie it closed, and go for a picnic. Even better, make this "hobo style" by attaching your lunch-filled bandana to a stick and slinging your lunch over your shoulder as you walk to a nearby park. We're all learning the value of more exercise!
#6. Make a purse from your bandana...perfect for the hobo chic look that gets popular at various times.
#7. Explore the beach but keep sunburn away by protecting yourself with your bandana.
#8. Party, Party, Party. Host a party and set the table with Rosie bandanas. Or roll up the individual silverware settings in bandanas and tie them with kitchen twine or a decorative ribbon. Then invite guests to take their bandanas home as a remembrance. So much better than a paper napkin. (We have our 22" bandanas available in bulk to make this more cost effective.)
#9. Stay warm in winter by tying a Rosie bandana over your ears. (My ears are super sensitive and I love having a Rosie bandana stashed in my purse so I can pull it out and tie it on my head if it is cold or windy outside.)
#10. Make a bandana halter top for summer wear.
#11. Have an ache or bruise? Put a bag of frozen peas inside your bandana to make a quick ice pack. Our Rosie bandana is large enough at 27"x27" that you can also loosely tie the pack to the affected area, keeping the cold right where you want it to be.
#12. Make a sling from your bandana if you are seriously hurt while out in nature. It will help until you can get to the doctor. This was perfect for my DIL when she sprained her ankle.
#13. Or, if you sustain a cut, use the bandana as a tourniquet. Then get to the hospital pronto.
#14. Tie the bandana on a pole and put it in front of your house to mark the location of your party. This idea is super great when you have a get together at a nearby park where there are multiple picnic areas. Just tell your guests to look for the Rosie the Riveter Legacy Bandana.
#15. Wrap a gift in your eco-friendly bandana. No wasted paper and the person gets two gifts instead of one.
#16. Wash your hands or face with a bandana while hiking or camping. You'll find a child loves the unexpected playfulness of a Rosie Bandana used for cleanup.
#17. Take a pillow outside and cover it with your bandana. Rock your dots on what just may become your new favorite resting spot. It's easy to wash your bandana so you always have a clean place to put your head. Who wants a pillow that's dirty! Rosie's bandana saves the day.
#18. Pick up interesting rocks, shells, leaves on your walks? Just pull the folded bandana out of your pocket and you have a perfect wrap for your treasures. For my Thanksgiving tables, I collect something different each year -- leaves that I press and become place cards -- feathers that are tied and become napkin rings -- chestnuts that I sprayed gold for table decoration -- etc.
#19. Find yourself at a ballgame where the seat is "less than clean"? No problem. just shake out your bandana and sit on it. When you stand up no messy food crumbs or sticky soda pop areas on your skirt or pants. Meanwhile, fold in the dirty side of the bandana and wash it when you get home. No fuss. No muss.
#20. Love your dog? Treat her (or him) to a Rosie bandana. Don't dogs look cute decked out in a bandana!
#21. Clean those smudges off your sunglasses with your We Can Do It! bandana. There's always a corner just waiting for this application.
#22. Keep the sun off a sleeping child in the car by securing your bandana in the top of the window. Heat and glare don't belong on your precious baby.
#23. Travel with your toddler and you just may need a makeshift bib. Keep a Rosie bandana in your purse for just such an emergency. The meal will end without having to change your sweet baby's clothes -- she'll be your Rosebud!
#24. Decorate a dorm room with a couple of bandanas -- over a window, on a pillow, or draped around the edge of a lampshade.
#25. Shut out the light when you want a rest in the afternoon by using your red and white polka dot bandana as a sleep mask. Just fold it over your eyes or even tie it on if you are a restless sleeper. If it is hot, you may want to moisten the bandana to keep your cool.
#26. Wear your hair in a ponytail or in a braid? Secure it with your bandana for a bright look that's good in summer or winter.
#27. Forgot your ruler? Use your bandana as a measuring tool. Our's is 27"x"27 inches (the official bandana size as mandated by the Department of the Army for WOW: Women Ordnance Workers).
#28. Have a pot or cup that is too hot to hold on your camping trip? Whip out your bandana, fold it over, and turn it into a potholder to protect your hands.
#29. Extend the practicality of a baseball cap, which just keeps the sun off your face. Secure your bandana over the back of your neck by tucking it under your cap. [Think French Foreign Legion style.] This turns your bandana into a havelock, named after General Henry Havelock who popularized this way of protecting British soldiers from the fierce Indian sun.
#30. Work too hard in your garden and sweat will run down your face. Roll up your bandana and turn it into a sweat band. You'll be more comfortable and you'll look adorable too!
#31. Wear your bandana "robber style" when in a dusty or smoky area. Then get out as quickly as possible to stay safe. Unfortunately, this #31 use is more and more important as fires become a regular occurrence.
#32. Dry dishes with your bandana when your kitchen towels are all in the washing machine or you are camping. The bandana will quickly dry overnight and be ready for use the next day.
#33. Bid farewell to a bad odor by placing one or two drops of lavender essential oil (or rubbing a few stalks of fresh lavender) on your bandana and tucking it in the offending area. Later wash it and your entire laundry load will have a light calming fragrance.
#34. Use your bandana to catch minnows for bait the next time you are fishing.
#35. Sew a bandana dress for your toddler.
#36. Use the bandana as a makeshift apron for your young helper in the kitchen.
#37. Wear a bandana under your bike helmet to stay cooler.
#38. Thread your bandana through the loops on trousers...a fun replacement belt.
#39. Want a retro game to play with your children or grandchildren? Use the bandana to blindfold one person and play Blind Man's Bluff.
--- And possibly #40. Filter debris from water with your bandana. It definitely works, but don't count on it to purify water as it can just remove large contaminants. But you will need to boil the water before considering consuming it. Again, check with experts before using #40.
We link red and white polkadot bandanas and duct tape because they both have so many uses. But more than that, they both grew out of the necessity of WW2. Click below and read the story of the WOW worker who invented duct tape (and learn about the two names -- Duck Tape and Duct Tape. It's an inspirational story.
Get 2 for Less than the Price of 1!
WE CAREFULLY examine each bandana before ironing and packaging. Sometimes we find minor flaws -- a few threads that did not weave properly, a couple of white small dots where the red dye did not distribute properly, etc. Almost all of the flaws are only visible on the back, but still...
... not the highest quality that we create for this shop.
We put these aside awaiting inspiration.
AND NOW, we have decided to package these IN PAIRS and offer them at an incredible price. YOU GET 2 ROSIE BANDANAS for less than the price of 1 bandana.
Yes, you get TWO 27"x27" square, red and white polkadot ROSIE THE RIVETER bandanas for just $18.99 -- that's less than the price of 1 ($20.)
We think you will be pleased with this bargain
Rosie the Riveter Bandana / Rosie Headband / Rosie Headscarf / Rosie Scarf -- Authentic in its details. EACH BANDANA is a full head covering - a large 27 inch square - with a pattern of random red and white polkadots just like the one Rosie wore in the 1943 poster and that Rosies wore on production lines across America's Home Front during World War II.
• EACH Rosie the Riveter bandana is square and full-sized
• EACH Rosie the Riveter bandana is 27" x 27" (perfect for tying Rosie style, or for wearing around your neck)
• EACH Rosie bandana is just like the bandanas MANDATED by Department of the Army in WWII for WOW (Women Ordnance Workers)
• EACH Rosie bandana has large, random polka dot pattern -- researched by us to be just like the one Rosie wore in the famous "We Can Do It" poster by J. Howard Miller
• EACH Rosie bandana is made of fabric dyed just for us to be ULTRA SOFT and a joy to wear. 100% COTTON.