Alright - I have to admit: I've really become DIY-obsessed. I'm not really sure how it happed...it seemed like one day I was just doodling around in a notebook and the next I was spending joyous hours beading my own keychains and necklaces, sewing my own purses and wallets, decopauging' personal postcards and binders, and my favorite - making buttons.

I know how THAT obsession got started. When I first got into zines and started distributing them, I found out that zine people really dig pinback buttons. It was odd - I never really expected that to completely go hand in hand with the "zine scene".

I noticed that the "button professionals" all used a Button Maker, you know, those fancy lever-things that pops the button into a clear plastic cover. (I wasn't really planning on buying one...I check em' out on Ebay...surprisingly expensive...) The time came for me to make some merchendise for Nick and I's little punk band, Fading Anchor, and buttons were the way to go. I've gotten a lot of questions on how I make these bad boys, so here's the recipe! Like I said, I really LOVE DIY, and I'm here spreading the love.

Make Some....
All you need to make some slammin' buttons of your own is well...some buttons. :) I love the fact that my buttons are completely recycled and reused. You can find pre-printed buttons everywhere, (oddly enough, when making some for my friends, they've given me a lot of 'Jonas Brothers' buttons to repaint...) Next grab some acryllic craft paint. Any color you want. Then some fancy-schmancy colored paper or stickers. (I like to type words out on my old-school hammer typewriter and then just stick em' on.) Finally, you'll just need something clear and shiny to seal the paint and pictures onto the button. I began using clear fingernail polish, but the strong smell and the fact that it's pretty chemical-filled and not so hot for the environment pushed me to look for an alternative. Ta-DA! Enter this amazing gel-like collage-sealant, simply picked up for $5 at a craft store. EASY. FUN. COOL-LOOKING. I LOVE BUTTONS.

(Picture: All buttons I made...)