Fun DIY Craft Projects: What to Create With a Badge Maker A button maker is often tucked away after a single event, but it is one of the most versatile tools in a crafter’s arsenal. Beyond the standard promotional pin, this machine can manipulate paper, fabric, and upcycled materials into a wide variety of functional items. Whether you want to organize your home, create custom gifts, or start a small side business, a badge maker offers endless creative possibilities.
Here are five unexpected DIY craft projects you can make using a standard button press. Custom Fabric Magnets
Fabric scraps offer an excellent alternative to paper inserts. Thick textiles like denim, flannel, or cotton prints add texture and a premium, tactile feel to your finished pieces. Instead of pinning a sharp wire back to the button shell, insert a flat back or a ceramic magnet during the final press step.
These custom magnets can be used to hold notes on your refrigerator, organize magnetic whiteboard calendars, or serve as chic cubicle decor. They also make excellent, lightweight gifts that you can easily mail inside a standard greeting card. Interactive Reward Charts and Tokens
You can transform a badge maker into a tool for positive reinforcement by creating custom chore tokens. Use bright, contrasting colors to design coins representing specific point values, daily chores, or special privileges.
For example, you can press badges that read “+15 Minutes Screen Time” or “Pass on Doing Dishes.” Children can collect these durable tokens in a jar and trade them in later. The sturdy metal construction ensures these reward tokens can handle daily handling much better than paper alternatives. Personalized Flair for Shoelaces and Backpacks
You can easily convert standard pin-back buttons into specialized shoe charms or zipper pulls. Remove the traditional safety pin from the back of the badge casing before assembly, then thread a small strip of elastic cord or a jump ring through the empty metal loops.
You can lace these personalized charms directly onto sneakers or clip them onto backpack zippers. Kids love using them to display their initials, favorite sports team numbers, or quirky hand-drawn doodles, making their school gear instantly recognizable. Elegant Paper-Clip Bookmarks
Avid readers and planners can upgrade plain office supplies into stylish reading accessories. To do this, press a flat-backed button using your favorite scrapbooking paper, a vintage map snippet, or a piece of pressed botanical art. Once the button is complete, use heavy-duty E6000 glue to attach the flat back to the top tab of a large, sturdy paper clip.
These custom bookmarks slide easily onto pages without adding bulky weight, making them perfect for bullet journals, textbooks, and novels alike. Keepsake Photo Jewelry
A badge maker can quickly replicate the look of vintage enamel jewelry. Print high-resolution photos of family members, pets, or meaningful landscapes, sizing them precisely to your machine’s die cuts. Press the image into a flat-backed button shell.
Next, use jewelry-grade adhesive to bond the finished button into a matching pendant blank, a bezel ring, or a blank brooch pin. To give the piece a high-end, glossy finish, apply a thin layer of clear UV resin over the top and let it cure.
If you want to jump right into making these projects, I can help you find the right supplies. Let me know: What size badge maker you own (e.g., 25mm, 32mm, 58mm)
Whether you need help sourcing blank components like magnets, flat backs, or keychain attachments
If you want tips on the best graphic design software for sizing your artwork
We can easily narrow down the exact tools you need for your next crafting session.
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