Some of the most common pieces of rock and roll memorabilia are novelty pinback buttons. Pinback buttons are sold at many concerts and some have grown to become collectors items. Often no larger than 1 inch in diameter, pinback buttons can carry a significant memory for their owners. Continue reading
Using Adjustable Circle Cutters for Buttons, Crafts, Projects
At American Button Machines we pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop for any supply you may need for a wide range of button making projects. What a lot of our visitors and customers do not realize is that many of our products also have useful functions outside the realm of button making.
While our usual focus on this blog is to revel in the wonderful world of buttons, we are actually going to – don’t
be alarmed – take a brief step outside of button making to discuss the most versatile product that we sell: adjustable circle cutters.
Obviously the circle cutter tool is a prominent product in our overall line of button making supplies and accessories because it is perfect for cutting circular graphics and photos for making pinback buttons. However, the purpose of this post is to help you step outside the button making box and understand the wide variety of additional projects for which a circle cutter tool can be a perfect tool.
In addition to cutting graphics for pinback buttons, many arts and crafts aficionados use circle cutters to cut numerous items other than paper, and have found tremendous benefits. Schools, arts and crafts lovers, companies, and families have purchased our adjustable circle cutter to cut circles out of paper, thin plastic, construction paper, poster board, and fabric.
Here is a quick video to show you how a circle cutter tool works:
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.
Which of the many shape and size options for campaign buttons is right for you?
Throughout history the campaign button has changed sizes several times.
Image Source: Wikipedia
As we explained in our recent campaign button history post, Abraham Lincoln was the first Presidential candidate to actively use campaign buttons to promote himself and his running mate; his buttons were round, as you can see to the right.
But other candidates in other elections have used varying shapes and sizes in an attempt to be different and stand out from the crowd.
The question is, which shape and size campaign button is right for you?
Customer Spotlight: Ellaprint.com
We regularly receive emails from our customers telling us how much they love their button machines and other button making supplies. These emails often regale us with exciting stories and pictures of the buttons and other unique craft items they have used their button machine to make.
Our Customer Spotlight, as regular readers know, was created to allow us to reciprocate a little bit of this button love and turn the spotlight back on our wonderful customers that we love and appreciate so much.
Today’s Customer Spotlight is ellaprint.com, a website that allows you to create photo art, clothing, gifts, and decor that you design. Sounds pretty cool huh?
Well it is!
Make Campaign Buttons with Political Campaign Button Makers
If you are campaigning, or helping to run a campaign, a campaign button maker will be a useful tool to let voters know who you are and where you stand on issues. Instead of wasting your time and money on mass phone or mail campaigns, try the more cost efficient and more effective alternative: campaign button making.
The price of postage goes up each year, making mail campaigns more and more expensive. They are also ineffective; most of the time people just throw your mass mail out because they consider it junk mail. With the advent of online bill pay and e-mail, people also check their mailbox less often. Phone campaigns can also backfire, because people will be upset that you are interrupting their dinner or other important activities.
So instead of using one of these expensive and antiquated methods of yesterday, stick with the tried-and-true method of using campaign buttons.
Promoting Church Events and Raising Church Funds With Buttons and a Button Maker
Button Ideas for Your Church or Religious Institution
Getting the word out about upcoming events is a challenge that companies face even with millions of dollars to spend on marketing and promotions. Obviously, as the leader of a church or other religious institution, you want to get the most out of your funds to improve your community and the welfare of others. This means that there is often not a lot left in the coffers for marketing upcoming events.
With a button maker from American Button Machines you can create buttons that offer an effective, low-cost way to accomplish the marketing and fundraising goals of your church or religious institution.
Free Button Designs, Graphics, Tutorials, and Videos For all ABM Customers!
On the day that you purchase a button machine system, an entire world of button making possibilities opens up before you.
Most people purchase button making systems with very specific goals 
and buttons in mind, whether it be for a fundraiser, a small business, a band, or any number of alternate uses. Others purchase a button machine and supplies simply to have the tools of button making available at the beckon call of their button creation whims.
Regardless of the reasoning behind an individual’s or an organization’s purchase of a button machine, one inevitability is consistent: ultimately, to create your buttons, you will have to design them.
One of our goals at American Button Machines is to give you all of the tools you need when you purchase a button making system.
This is why we provide free button designs and tutorials with both our beginner and professional systems. With almost all of our button making systems, you get the following:
- Free Button Graphics: Artistic Creations CD#1
- Free Button Graphics: Artistic Creations CD#2
- Free Button Making Tutorials, Videos, Instructions: Button Essentials CD
A Brief History of Political Campaign Buttons
One of the most prevalent items in every campaign manager’s toolbox is the campaign button.
For building awareness, establishing brand, staying top of mind, and encouraging word-of-mouth promotion, among many other uses, the campaign button is a widely used tool by anyone running for any office.
Campaign buttons are inexpensive to make, as all you need is a circle cutter plus a button machine and some button making supplies. They are also easy to distribute and require very little effort from supporters to use. It is no wonder then that since Abe Lincoln first used them in 1860, the stature and ubiquity of campaign buttons has only grown.
In this post, we provide a brief history of political campaign buttons, along with some examples.