Want to make your own enamel pins? It feels daunting at first. I collect enamel pins and always wondered how hard it would be to design my own series. I kinda sorta researched but it felt overwhelming because of the volume and pricing, the size, etc. Another thought was what could I bring to the space that hasn’t already been done.
Okay, all of that is pretty silly “lack mindset” thinking. Recently I did more research and found Wizard Pins as a source to have my own pins made. I put it on my to-do list for my business, and guess what?
Within a month Wizard Pins reached out to me about a collab!
Talk about manifesting, right?
They asked me to come of up designs using their platform and go through the entire process. Here’s how it all went down.
About soft enamel pins
First thing – know the difference between the types on enamel pins. Soft enamel has outlines that are filled in with yup – enamel. You can kinda see the recessed area where the color is. Hard enamel pins also have an outline but the surface is completely smooth. There really isn’t a big pricing difference (hard enamel is a bit more) so it’s really your preference. I went with soft enamel!
Both pins are a nice sturdy weight with sharp pins and rubber backings.
You can use up to eight colors.
NOTE: If you order, use my coupon code for 10% off: CRAFTY10
Time to design!
I used Procreate on my Ipad Pro. Wizard Pins uses Pantone colors, so as you design, keep that in mind. I didn’t – I just used the web colors. As you can see, I definitely used way more than eight colors on each design. Excitement took over and I went a lil crazy on the color story. But it all worked out fine because once you upload your design, they will mock up a proof showing exactly how your pin will look. Then if you want to make changes, you can.
Pricing
It’s definitely better to order in quantity, especially if you plan to sell them for profit. I think the 100 amount is very affordable at $3.69 a piece. I usually spend anywhere from $10-15 on pins, so at this wholesale price you can easily have enough space for wholesale and retail and still make a profit. These also work great for promo items, giveaways, gifts and more. NOTE: If you order, use my coupon code for 10% off: CRAFTY10
Finished pieces!
Don’t they look so cute? I made an amiga angel, an alebrije and a floral design. Look at the detail on the designs, those little flowers on the angel wings are so perfect, and the lettering, the little dash marks, all of it came out so cool!
This is the back of the pin with the plastic attachment clasps.
And here is the back showing the pins. They don’t wobble, they are secure very firmly.
Things to consider before moving forward
Know why and what you want to use your pins. It is somewhat of an investment, so the more you plan ahead, the better.
Once you brainstorm a list of ideas, show them to your friends and family to see which they like best. you can even do this on social media, post them separately and see which designs has the most engagement. This is really important because you want to make sure your pins garner attention after they are made!
Remember that your design will be shrunk down – and there will be a silver outline around each element. Any super-duper details will not show up or even make your design look a bit cluttered. For example on my angel pin, I wish I would have removed the hearts on the cheeks, it kinda makes it too busy. Then again, that’s just me being super picky. And I wish I would have checked the skin tone because it came out a bit lighter than I designed. But that is my fault because I received the proof and signed off without double checking. I was just so excited!!
Overall, I’m really, really happy with these pins! I’m definitely going to design and order more for my Crafty Chica business. I love how the colors are so vibrant and am blown away at the amount of detail in the end product. I feel really proud of these! And…Wizard Pins also manufactures other items like printed pins, die cut pins, coins, keychains and more. What a great way to give new life to an illustration!
Alrighty – guess what!/ I’m selling these! I have a very limited amount, so I’m selling them at Mucho Mas Art Studio here in Phoenix and in my Crafty Chica online shop!
Thanks so much for checking out my post about how to make your own enamel pins! And thank you to Wizard Pins for inviting me to be a part of this collaboration!
