Step by Step Guide to Make Your Own Button

First things: before you can really get down to business pressing buttons, you have to cut out the circles.

You can use a Adjustable Rotary Cutter. Or if you're a real glutton for punishment you can go at it by hand, but don't say I didn't warn you!

The Adjustable Rotary Cutter is nice because it handles multiple sizes, and some people swear by it

Now take a moment and familiarize yourself with the important parts of the Button Maker as illustrated in the image to your left.

The Handle in this photo is in it's extreme upper or resting position.

The Die Table is the plate that holds both dies and rotates them around.

The Pickup Die is the first die you'll be using. It is more shallow than the Crimp Die and is on springs.

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Install the Upper Die,Pickup Die and Crimp Die mold to the rack of the button maker machine.

Adjust the bar to make the Upper Die and Pickup Die touch together leaving a distance when pulling the handle down,and Upper Die and the Crimp Die touch completely.

Insert the shell dome side up in the pickup die. It should fit nice and snug. If it doesn't, you've probably mixed up the dies so try the other one.

Next insert your graphic right side up. It is also important to properly position the graphic at this step, or your button will be crooked.

In this example, I want the text to be centered at the top of my button, so that is how I position my graphic.

The graphic should also fit nice and snug, if it doesn't, your circles are off. (See now you wish you had one of those accurate circle cutter don't you?)

Then cover the graphic with Mylar. Mylar is the thin clear plastic circles that come with your button parts. It protects the button from the elements and makes it look shinny.

Once the Shell, Graphic, and Mylar is in place, push the Die Table to the left so that the Pickup Die is directly under the Upper Die.

Now pull the Handle all the way down. This will Pickup the Shell and everything into the Upper Die.

It doesn't take much force at all, young children can do it. If it feels like it is difficult you may be using paper stock that is too thick, you accidentally put in 2 sheets of Mylar, or 2 Shells were stuck together when you inserted them. If this is the case you can try to move on to the next step (it usually doesn't hurt) or you can just pull the stuff out of the Upper Die and try again.

Next, pull the Handle up and let it fall back into it's original upright resting position.

Then insert the Pin-Back, with the pin clasp facing down. It is important to position it properly or your button will be crooked.

Remember that the squiggle should always be facing you.

Push the Die Table to the right so that the Crimp Die is directly under the Upper Die.

Pull the handle all the way down again. This step crimps all the parts together.

Next let the Handle come back up into it's original upright position.

Now your finished button reveals,see that was easy.the only thing left to do is pin it to your shirt and pat yourself on the back!!!

Pin Button
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Rope tie

Key holder

Character key holder

Mirror key holder

Open button

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