does not require a prebought pin backing, no images included in the process but two of the finished pin
hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
paper (made into the design you want)
sturdy-ish plastic folder or notebook cover
a guide and a writing utensil, to trace your shape onto the plastic and onto the paper for your design (optional)
1- draw your pin design on your paper!
i used markers. other materials like paint or pencils might work, but i don’t know for sure.
use your guide (mine was a bottle cap) to trace and cut out your desired shape. guide is optional.
3- cut out the same size shape in the sturdy plastic sheet!
it’ll keep the hot glue from sinking into the paper, and provide some rigidity during the gluing. again tracing is useful but not necessary.
4- put them together, paper design side up. layer clear tape over them, make sure there’s no uncovered spots!
this will be your pin’s face, try to keep it smooth and clear. fold tape edges underneath the plastic part.
5- hot glue! place the pin face design side down, plastic side up. lay a stripe of glue down and smush the safety pin into it all the way.
make sure the safety pin is lined up how you want before you glue it. and make sure you’re putting the non-opening side into the glue.
6- fill in the rest of the pin backing with hot glue, to make it sturdy!
be sure to glue over the side of the safety pin so that it stays attached, but so that it can still open and close. try not to let glue spill over the edges so it doesn’t get stuck to your work space.
7- wait for it to solidify! then hold it by the safety pin, and use tiny amounts of hot glue & the side of the glue gun to seal the taped edges of the pin.
this is for stability and longevity, so that nothing separates. use the hot edge of the glue gun to melt and move around excess glue.
8- wait for that to solidify, then you have a custom pin!