Laser-Cut Buttons

I love to crochet, especially hats. And sometimes I like to put buttons on my hats. I decided to laser-cut some custom buttons for my hats and crocheted goodies. 

Step 1: Design the Buttons

Using Adobe Illustrator, I drew my button design. I decided to have a wren wearing a hat with a pom-pom. The wren has made many appearances in my crocheted works (put a bird on it!) and was even the inspiration for a business logo (www.etsy.com/shop/theswedishwren). The bird logo would be etched into the button. I also decided to do a simple 2-hole button instead of a 4-hole button. 

I designed 3 different button sizes - 1", 0.85" and 0.7" (in diameter). 

Step 2: Materials

I wanted the buttons to be made of a beautiful hardwood, so I decided on walnut. I also wanted the buttons to be 1/8" thick. Many types of wood would work well for this, including plywood. Acrylic is also a fun option - buttons don't have to be wood! Experimenting with different button thicknesses would be fun too. 

Using some scrap 1/4" walnut remnants from a previous project, I planed the wood down to 1/8". I also used a bit of 1/8" plywood to cut practice buttons on - to make sure I was happy with my design. 

Step 3: Laser Cut/Etch

The laser cutter I used was an Epilog Legend 36EXT 120Watt. Before cutting buttons on the nice walnut, I ran a couple test cuts on some scrap 1/8" plywood. This allowed me to check out my design and make sure I was happy with the way it looked and the size of each button. Once I was satisfied, I moved onto laser cutting the walnut. I also tried cutting a few acrylic buttons just for fun. 

The settings that worked best for me were:

WALNUT:
Raster Settings 
Speed: 50                                  
Power: 32
Vector Settings
Speed: 60
Power: 82
Frequency: 500

PLYWOOD:
Raster Settings
Speed: 55
Power: 35
Vector Settings
Speed: 60
Power: 65
Frequency: 500

ACRYLIC:
Raster Settings
Speed: 50
Power: 35
VectorSettings
Speed:45
Power: 90
Frequency: 5000

Remember that all laser cutters aren't the same, therefore my settings might not be the best for every machine. It takes a little practice and trial/error until you have just the right settings for your material and machine, so be patient! 

Step 4: Put Your Buttons to Use!

You could use your buttons almost anywhere! On pants, shirts, hats, scarves...the list goes on and on. I crocheted an iPhone sleeve and used one of my buttons to keep it closed.

Get crafty!

Comments

[ldoyle343]

Hi. I love your buttons - I am wanting to get into lazer engraving. Can the software for your particular machine work with windows/android or is it specifically designed for Apple?
Thanks!

[brodart06]

très joli, bravo

[milau]

Magnifique.

[masterURlaser]

So cute!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I need to make some custom buttons!

[tessalene]

It would be fun to make buttons with faces laser-etched on them! Or different designs. So many options :)

[SLOMakerSpace]

Maybe with the button holes as nostrils. ;-D

Thanks for providing settings. Figuring out where to start with the laser seems fraught with danger.

[lindarose92]

What a great idea! I love their rustic look!

[Mindmapper1]

Excellent!