A Beautiful World

where I like to be

Ah, band pins. They are cheap, easily replacable and they are perfect for filling-in empty spaces on your battle jacket. If I could, I would have decorated everything I owned with pins. I love the sound that they make when you walk around and they hit against each other. But what if you can’t find pins of the bands that you like? If you have had no luck finding pins in your local merch shop, I suggest following this guide to make them on your own!

((Please keep in mind that this is the first tutorial I ever prepared for this blog and the photos aren’t of the best quality :3 ))

The materials that you are going to need are:

1. Paint the entire pin black with your marker. Make sure to cover the design on it very well, and don’t forget to paint around the face of the pin, as shown in the second picture. You might have to do a second coat.

2. Cut around the designs you have choosen for your pins. Make sure that they can fit on the pin before putting them on. Apply a thin coat of wood glue on the back of the paper and let it dry for a tiny bit before sticking it on the pin. Press it down well, smooth out the surface and wipe the glue that leaked on the pin from under the paper.

3. Apply a thick coat of glue over the design, once it’s stuck in place. Let it dry until the glue has turnt clean and then repeat once more.  Now, let the pins dry in a box, away from dust and hairs. Let them sit there for a night. Make sure that the top layer of glue doesn’t feel sticky to the touch before continuing to the 4th step.

4. Now grab your reso candle and start rubbing it on your pins until a fine coat is formed.  With a blowdryer, start melting the wax on the pins. Cover your hand with a towel or with your sleeve as you hold them in place to melt it, because the back metallic part can get very hot very quickly. Once the wax is liquidized, let it dry and repeat two more times. Wood glue is not water resistant, at all. By covering the pins with a thin layer of wax, we are making sure that the paper design is sealed in and that the pin will not get ruined if you get out in the rain wearing it.

5. The pin is water resistant enough to withstand rain, but it will not a singe chance if you design to wash your jacket/bag with the pin still on. I had the pins pictured on my bag for 11 months on my bag, and I was amazed how well they held on. Just don’t throw them in the washing machine. :D Sadly I never took any pictures of the end result and I only kept the Pantera pin long enough so that I could take a picture of it. As you can see, the wax didn’t affect the colours/texture of the pin, and it is still holding on perfectly. Also, the FFDP pin (yeah, I used to love those guys for some reason…) was also a DIY pin. I tried making 14 pins and it was the only one that turned out perfect.

Aaaaaand you’re done!

At a concert/show:

In the car with friends:

During a class presentation:

While holding a sign outside:

While trying to start a fire:

Alissa White-Gluz about the inspiration for the lyrics of ‘First Day In Hell’