Pimp My Hearing Aid / Cochlear Implant - another type of crafting.

There has been another type of crafting happening around here. Every month or so I settle in for a session of hearing aid / cochlear implant decorating. In the online community (mostly in the UK, since their healthcare system rarely allows for anything but flesh-toned hearing gear), they call this "pimping". It's pretty cool, and it exemplifies the feeling of owning one's hearing loss. Own it. This is me, don't ignore it, don't hide it. Love yourself. 

I hope that Allie always feels this way about her hearing gear. She has always had purple hearing aids, and now her CI processors are pink (Naida) and red (Neptune). She chooses a different color for her ear mold every time - for now it's hot pink. She gladly shows off her glittery and shiny "pimped" hearing aid and CI. 

Every month or so when it's time to refresh her look, Allie weighs in and tells me what color / what stickers / what gems. And after she goes to sleep I get to work. It really doesn't take long, and those tiny embroidery scissors help so much!

For now I'm glad that Allie is happy. She likes to pick out charms to hang from her hearing aid tube. She picks the rhinestones, and the tapes. (We've even had Hello Kitty tape!). 

These pictures show the hearing aids / CI decorated using washi tape (paper tape), plastic craft tape (marketed for teen crafting), stick-on rhinestones (from the scrapbooking isle). The hanging items are charms either for jewelry making, or for loom band crafts. I used small, sharp, embroidery scissors to trim around the edges. The main goal is to use a gentle, removable product - nothing permanent, nothing that requires acetone to remove. Don't cover any buttons or microphones. 

For more information please request acceptance on the facebook page Pimp My Hearing Aids / Cochlear Implants - UK.