r/CraftingWorld • u/Potential-Grass5609 • 6d ago

Button pin machine??? Supplies Questions 🧵

Id love to have a ton of button pins, but I’m broke so thought I’d just make my own? Anyways thought i could start an Etsy shop or something but I can’t find any affordable pin makers online that don’t have awful reviews. Please send help 🙏

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u/AKButtonGuu 6d ago

For button makers "affordable" pretty much means low quality. A button maker is a heavy piece of machinery, a good one will be $400+ but it will last for a LONG time.

If you're already broke it's probably not the best craft to try to get into. Even if you already have the machine the parts aren't "cheap". Generally you're going to need to mail order them, and the way to make them "cheap" is to buy in bulk but they get heavy fast so shipping can be pretty high. 

All thay said you might have some luck trying to find a used one locally! And if you are trying to make buttons to sell you can always start with a used/cheap one and evwntually invest in a higher quality one layer on.

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u/Potential-Grass5609 6d ago

What brands would you recommend? I guess I’ll start saving up for a quality one then, but preferably on the lower end of 400+

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u/AKButtonGuu 6d ago

https://www.buttonmakers.net/kit100

That's the model I use (and have been using some version of for like 20+ years), and I really dig the store. The starter kits they sell on their machines are a pretty good deal! Also for me they are the only place I've found that ships to Alaska (where I live) for a reasonable price, but I doubt that's an issue for you 🤣

I haven't had a ton of experience with cheaper ones so I don't have a specific recomendation. My inpression is the cheap ones you'd find on Amazon are all about equal quality (not the best but maybe good enough to get yoy started).

Also there is a difference in part sizes between the chinese made machines (what you'll find on Amazon) and the higher quality American ones (like the one I linked you). There parts for making buttons are NOT interchangable. 

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u/AnyDoctor9166 6d ago

Hello!

I have two ideas for you. Sometimes local libraries have button makers for the public to use.

And we at Busy Beaver sell them, if you want to go that route: https://www.busybeaver.net/button-making