Author Archives: Brighid Brown

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

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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.

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Which of the many shape and size options for campaign buttons is right for you?

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Throughout history the campaign button has changed sizes several times.

abraham lincoln campaign button

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?

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Customer Spotlight: Ellaprint.com

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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!

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Make Campaign Buttons with Political Campaign Button Makers

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Make Campaign Buttons with Political Campaign Button MakersIf 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.

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Promoting Church Events and Raising Church Funds With Buttons and a Button Maker

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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.

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Free Button Designs, Graphics, Tutorials, and Videos For all ABM Customers!

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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 Free Button Designs and Graphicsand 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:

  1. Free Button Graphics: Artistic Creations CD#1
  2. Free Button Graphics: Artistic Creations CD#2
  3. Free Button Making Tutorials, Videos, Instructions: Button Essentials CD

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A Brief History of Political Campaign Buttons

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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.

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

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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:

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Fabric Button How-To Series: Using Your Button Machine Properly to Make Fabric-Covered Buttons

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One of the growing trends in monogramming and embroidery is the use of fabric-covered buttons as an accessory for a number of items, from clothing to purses to shoes. Many small embroidery shops have begun to offer a selection of fabric buttons, including custom monogrammed buttons. With a professional grade button machine, a small embroidery shop can quickly expand its product offering with a fun and versatile fabric button that has a number of uses. This post is the third in our week-long series on fabric buttons.Fabric Covered Button Necklace

Tuesday, we discussed important pointers for choosing the right fabric when you begin your fabric button making project. Wednesday, we told you about the myriad uses for fabric-covered buttons. Then yesterday, we discussed why many embroidery shops are investing in their own professional button machine to create custom fabric buttons. Today, we give you a brief overview of the proper way to use a button machine to make fabric-covered buttons.

In a rotating die button maker, the materials are placed into two separate dies. The button’s front shell and fabric are positioned in the first die, which is rotated into the machine, and the lever is pulled once. The button back is then placed in the second die, which is rotated into the press, and the lever is pulled a second time completing the button press operation.

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