How to boost button sales
10 Everyday items that can help boost button sales
Whether you're displaying buttons at a convention or selling them online the key is to first catch your customer's eye. Having buttons that stand out from the crowd is a great way to attract attention. Creating your own designs is a terrific idea but can be time consuming. So, I've come up with 10 everyday items you can use to add some flair to your buttons and help to boost button sales. The best part is you probably already have most of these in your house or craft studio.1. Comic book pages – so very colorful and lively - Kapow! 
2. Calendar pages* – use the date squares as well as the pictures to make a visually interesting button.
3. Wrapping paper – Happy Birthday, Baby Shower, Graduation…
4. Newspaper – this looks super cool on a 1” button; especially if the newspaper has yellowed with age.
5. Maps – a trendy idea for necklaces or earrings.
6. Magazine pages – fashion magazines have some really cool images that translate well to buttons.
7. Pages from an old novel or children’s picture book – turn the design a few degrees for an off centered appearance when pressing the button and call it art.
8. Coloring book pages – Here's a fun idea. Take a picture your little one has colored, add the date, use a copier to shrink the image and give it to them on their 16th birthday.
9. Vintage paper from an antique store would look classy and elegant on a bracelet.
10. Photos* – Sepia tone photos are very popular.
Our friends at SpaceCraft Studios in Charleston have some nifty ideas of their own. They made a great video featuring an ABM button maker. These are some super cool ideas that should help you boost button sales. *Keep in mind ABM button makers have certain tolerances regarding paper thickness. So you'll want to stay away from mediums such as card stock and thick scrapbook paper. Photo paper can be used for 2.25" - 3.5" buttons. Cut the graphic to 2.225" for use in a Model 225 button maker. Likewise, some calendars are made of thicker paper than others. Stick to those that are made of a thin paper that will fold easily and wrap nicely around the shell.
Until next time – Happy Button Making!
By Brighid Brown, Director of Blogging and All Things Cool at ABM
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9 comments
I have an idea for boosting Button sales. Can I share that here? I would like to know if anyone else has tried this idea with success.
Some great idea’s, thanks.
For the Christmas buttons I think punching a hole leaves a sharp edge around the hole. I have made some by just putting a piece of ribbon looped in before crimping the back to the top.
another way is to use a key chain back and use the clip that comes with the chain and ring. (costly) need to find just the clip with out the chain and ring attached
Great success story! Thank you for sharing with us. What a wonderful feeling to know that folks remembered your booth and sought you out the next year. Here’s hoping year 3 will be even better!
We have many events in our town, but most of the vendors that show up are adult oriented (not naughty, just not kid stuff!) Our store is on the lower side of town so we get a table in the upper part of town during the events, and have started a “draw your own button” part of the table which is geared toward kids. We have blank circles (with a light gray guide line) that we prepare, lots of colored markers, and a button machine. We also have some circles with outlines that the little kids can just color in. They put what they want on the circle, and we make the button! It started out to be just for the kids but the adults got a kick out of doing it too. My favorite was the older lady that stopped by and made a “Grandma Rocks!” button for herself. It was pretty successful the first year, but the second year was much better. People came looking for us, and said they had been thinking all year about what they wanted on the button! They knew that they could get it done anytime, but this is where they think about it.
Absolutely – we’d love to hear about your idea!