When the weather outside is frightful, button ornaments are delightful!

Decorating the Christmas tree is a time-honored and much-beloved by tradition by countless families across America and throughout the world. It is a wonderful experience to share with the entire family and brightens up houses for the entire month of December.

And guess what: we’ve got a way to make an already wonderful experience even better!

It’s true.

We suggest a slight alteration to your ornament strategy this year, but it’s not something that you can just run out to the store and buy – what would be the fun in that? Nope, we suggest making at least one but perhaps more of your own ornaments this year, and there is no better way to do just that than by making button ornaments!

» read more

Back to School Tip for Teachers: Teach Business and Have Fun with…Buttons!

As you are probably aware, it is now September. This means a number of things: in most areas of the country it means that leaves will start changing colors; it also means that both college and professional football are set to begin new seasons while baseball winds another long one down; it also means that shorts and tank tops are replaced by jeans and wind breakers.

And, most importantly, it means that kids are back to school. (Hence the “B2S” in the title…our attempt to start the next “LOL” or “BTW”. So pass it on…)

Another year of school starting means that teachers across the country are looking for new classroom activities that can not only hold students’ attention but also teach them valuable lessons. For any teachers out there looking for an innovate way to teach math, teamwork, business concepts, and even simple economics, we have the perfect idea.

Yep, you guessed it: buttons! (What were you expecting? Textbooks? Ha!)

» read more

Button Ups: Some Helpful Button Making Dos (and one don’t…)

Everyone has heard of the phrases “thumbs up” and “thumbs down.”

When you agree with something, or when something is good, you give it a thumbs up to emphasize your agreement. When you disagree with something, or when something is not good, you give it a thumbs down to emphasize your disagreement.

Well here at American Button Machines, we do this…but a little differently. And – surprise, surprise! – our version of it includes buttons.

When something is good that we like, we say button ups! And when something doesn’t meet our approval, we say, button downs. And yes, we actually have “up” and “down” buttons here at the HQ that we sometimes use for extra emphasis.*

Today, we are going to highlight a few specific button ups (and one button down) that we’re thinking about as another week comes to a close.

» read more

Make Your Own Buttons!

America is the greatest nation on earth because she is a nation infused with a spirit of action, initiative, and personal accountability. We are a nation of doers, of problem solvers, and of people who love to take matters into our own hands.

And that is why we beam with pride whenever we think about our customers, because they are a shining example of this inimitable American spirit.

Each person who buys a button machine and buys supplies from ABM could very easily find an “easier” (though not cheaper) way to get their buttons made, but they don’t. They take matters into their own hands – quite literally – and manifest the American spirit by doing it themselves.

Furthermore, many of the people who buy from us take it the next step and do more than just make their own buttons; they create custom orders for others! Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the American economy and our button maker systems have been the foundation for many a successful small business.

Yep, we love our customers.

» read more

Button shows that not even the stench of death can deter one happy bride

By the time their wedding day comes around, most women have dreamt about it and visualized it over and over and over again.

The dress, and the ring, and the cake, and the music, and the invitations, and the flower girls, and, oh yeah!, even the groom…for most brides (and certainly for whoever is in charge of planning the wedding) that special day is one for which all the t’s must be crossed, the i’s must be dotted, and even the tiniest curveball can be cause for concern and consternation.

So you might that think that even the most even-keeled bride would turn into a bridezilla if they had to deal with what Jessica Zabala feared she would have to deal with on her wedding day.

And what is that, you ask? Oh nothing…nothing at all…just the smell of death emanating from across the street, nefariously infiltrating the noses of everyone in its vicinity.

Ms. Zabala’s reaction? Wear a button that says “I Love Lois” in honor of the famous “Corpse Flower” from whence the smell was wafting.

» read more

Customer Spotlight: Houston Museum of Natural Science

We are proud to call the Houston Museum of Natural Science one of our customers and it is our pleasure to feature HMNS in an especially timely edition of our Customer Spotlight today.

Why is it so timely? Well, because the HMNS is distributing buttons to commemorate an impending experience that has been described as “a combination of rotting vegetation and rotting flesh.”

Wait…what?

Allow me to explain.

» read more

Button University Lesson 4: The Three Different Kinds of Cutters

Sorry for the late posting time on today’s Button University lesson. Sometimes the phone just rings and rings and rings and our duty as gatekeepers to the wonderful world of buttons beckons from sunrise to sundown. After a moment to catch my breath, it is now time for some late afternoon fun here at The Button Blog.

Yesterday, in lesson 4 of our ongoing Button University series, we discussed design standards for button machines and gave you the reasons why ours have the best button machine design available on the market. Today, we are going to dive feet first into cutters. And if you are a graduate of Indiana University, no, this post does not have anything to do with the Cutters race team or the Little 500.

(Raise your hand if you understood that reference? The movie Breaking Away? Anyone? Okay, not many hands up. I hear crickets. Let’s just move along now, shall we?)

So, let’s say that you are getting ready to start a button project. You have your button machine, you have all of your button supplies, and you even have sheets of neatly printed circular graphics ready to go. Are you ready to start making buttons?

Not so fast. Your gorgeous and beautiful graphics must be cut out!

How are you going to accomplish this?

» read more

Event Fundraising Ideas for Non-Profits: Use Buttons to Promote, Enhance Event

Custom buttons can be a great way to help market and advertise events hosted by your non-profit organization, and enhance your fundraising initiatives. Buttons can be used as gifts, advertisements, and status symbols, as well as many other uses. Non-profits that utilize buttons for promoting events employ a cost-effective way to get their message out to a large audience.

Using buttons to advertise for your non-profit organization is a low-cost way to boost fundraising efforts in several ways. Here a few proven event fundraising ideas for non-profits that can help your non-profit fundraising efforts:

» read more

ABM Video Series: How to Create Ponytail Holder Buttons

As we continue our one-by-one journey through the tutorial videos that we have posted on our button making videos page, today’s video involves the creation of ponytail buttons.

The beautiful thing about making ponytail buttons is that the process for making them is very similar to the process for making any type of button, as you will see in the video below.

Here is the main difference: our ponytail kits include an eyelet that is easily inserted into the back of the button. This eyelet then allows you to easily add an elastic ponytail cord.

When you watch the video, you’ll see just how uncomplicated these additional steps are.

Follow the link for more information about purchasing our ponytail sets, which will allow you to start creating and customizing your own ponytail buttons today!

Video: How to Make Ponytail Buttons

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Customer Spotlight: Barrel of Monkeys

Welcome to the first ABM Customer Spotlight! 

We are very excited about this new feature here on the Button Blog, where we will be spotlighting the wonderful and creative button making work of some of our most loyal customers.

The first ABM Customer Spotlight is Jill Hamilton-Krawczyk, the creative genius behind Barrel of Monkeys. And rather than having us tell you about Jill and the story behind Barrel of Monkeys, we’ll let her tell you.

» read more