Surprise your special someone with a heart-shaped button for Valentine’s Day!

Don’t look now, but Valentine’s Day is almost exactly a month away.

That’s right, you’ve barely had a chance to take a breath from the wild and crazy Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Years triumverate that ends the year before the first big holiday of the new year is just around the corner. (And, *ahem*, guys…we’re really talking to you here. We know the ladies know that Valentine’s Day is on its way. So make sure that you do too.)

The question is: what can you do for your special someone this year that will be sweet, sentimental, and original? Luckily, we’re here to help. And the answer is our heart accent rings, which enable you to make lovely heart-shaped buttons for Valentine’s Day!

» read more

4 Essential Tips for Designing Effective and Memorable Campaign Buttons

Fall is election time, and we are nearing the heart of it now as the final days of September approach and October, then November, beckon. We already supplied you with tips for actually making and displaying campaign buttons, plus three tips specific to elementary school campaign buttons.

In this post, we provide you with four essential tips for designing the most effective and memorable campaign buttons possible.

» read more

Making Money Making Buttons

If you love making buttons and have ever wondered whether it would be plausible for you to make money making buttons, we submit this post as proof positive that it is, in fact, very plausible.

One of our customers sent us the following picture of a check with the following note:

» read more

Button University Lesson 10: Badge-a-Minit Button Making Supplies – Size and Other Differences

Hello once again from your button blogging friends at American Button Machines. We are thrilled to have you back for the 10th and final lesson of Button University. (Please, take moment if you need to go grab tissues so you can wipe away the tears.)

Yesterday, we talked about fabric button machines and systems. Today, we are going to talk about Badge-a-Minit Supplies. For some of you, you are asking, “What in the world are Badge-a-Minit supplies?” Let me explain.

There are basically two kinds of button making supplies in the USA.

1. Industry standard button-sized supplies. These supplies fit 99% of all standard-sized button machines. Yes, we are in that 99.9%.

2. Badge-a-Minit sized button supplies. These supplies are slightly larger than the industry standard. They are designed specifically to fit Badge-a-Minit machines. People who are not aware that Badge-a-Minit machines don’t work with the US industry standards can end up wasting a lot of money when they buy the wrong sized button supplies.

To help out our customers, we also offer Badge-a-Minit supplies for a lower price at. Our BAM Supplies are Certified and Guaranteed and Badge-a-Minit “sized”. They will work…hassle-free.

Not only are they less expensive when purchased from us, but our same standard of excellence applies. Here are the differences between their supplies and our BAM Supplies.

» read more

Comparing the Circle Cutters – Which One is Right For You?

Choices, choices, choices.

When it comes to choosing a cutter for your button making project, you certainly do have choices.

Today, we are going to help you make the right circle cutter choice by analyzing the three top-of-the-line cutters we offer at America Button Machines: the adjustable rotary cutter; the punch cutter; and, the high volume die-cutting press.

We’ll go one-by-one discussing the features of each cutter, as well as what it is best for. Match this up against the specifics of your project and it will help you to to make the best decision possible.

» read more

5 Reasons Why Button Making Makes a Great Home-Based Business Solution

Have you ever thought about starting your own home-based business? You may be surprised to learn that a nice chunk of our customer base uses our button machines and button making supplies as the means of production for their own home-based button businesses.

The purpose of this post is run down a few of the reasons why so many of many of our customers have gotten into the button making business part-time — or even full-time — from the comfort and convenience of their own home.

We know that a home-based business is not for everyone, and that making buttons isn’t the right choice for everyone considering a home-based business, but you should at least know the benefits of being your own button making boss.

» read more

ABM on Twitter and Facebook!

While we always want you to come visit us here at the friendly confines of The Button Blog, make sure that you also check us out on Twitter and Facebook as well. We want to be sure that you can access our content and us (should you ever have questions or need us!) in the most convenient way possible.

So, to follow us on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/abmachines.

To become our fan on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Button-Machines/303574310110.

And, of course, don’t forget about our discussions forum, which is still the easiest and quickest way to get feedback from us.

We look forward to connecting with you wherever you like to connect. As always, happy button making!

Customer Spotlight: Selvedge House

Today’s customer spotlight shines on the fine folks over at Selvedge House, which is based in Brisbane, Australia. Selvedge House, as their website explains, provides a collection of hand crafted designer textiles, patterns and craft kits.

Recently, Danielle from Selvedge House sent us an email to tell us know how “brilliant” our button machine work and “how much fun” they have using it well set up at a weekend market stall. And in addition to fun, Danielle informs us that during that one weekend craft fair they pretty much made the cost of the machine back.

Here is a portion of Danielle’s email to us and some pictures from their weekend:

» read more

ABM Template Tutorial Video Series: Print Shop

Welcome, loyal buttoneers (not to be confused with boutonnieres), to the fourth and final installment of our video template tutorial series, which has already shown you how to create button graphics using Photoshop, Corel Draw, and the Open Office free button making software.

Today, we venture into the digital jungles of Print Shop to go on a video safari that will show you how to create circular button graphics using this Windows-based software.

» read more

ABM Template Tutorial Video Series: Creating Button Graphics Using Corel Draw

Over the past couple of weeks we have been rolling out our button graphic video tutorial series, first showing you how to create button graphics in Photoshop and then showing you how to do the same using free button making software like Open Office.

Today, we are going to step into the magical world of Corel Draw and provide the same step-by-step look at how to create a perfectly measured circular button graphic using our free Corel Draw templates.

» read more