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DIY Coin Buttons

by on May 29, 2007

I was cruising around a local rock and roll boutique, and I found a set of buttons made from pennies: $1.99 for 3. Cool, I thought, but a penny should cost 1¢, not 67. A DIY project for sure.

Gold button sewn to denim.

Supplies:

    Handful of coins

    Small bowl

    White vinegar

    Salt

    Pencil

    Electric drill or drill press

    1/16” drill bit

    Scrap hard wood

    Small clamps (optional)

    Needle and thread

1. Grab a handful of coins. Scour the bottom of your coin jar for subway tokens, foreign coins, or arcade tokens.

Person holding handful of coins.

2. To clean the coins, pour 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and a teaspoon of salt into a small bowl, and swirl until the salt dissolves. Submerge the coins, and soak for 10 minutes.

Several different coins in a white dish.

3. Take the coins out of the vinegar bath and rinse with water, then pat dry.
4. Using a pencil (a mechanical one works best), mark where you’ll drill your holes. I tried to find the 1/3 and 2/3 lines, and drilled where they intersected.

5. Place your coin on top of a piece of wood. If you can, use a piece of hardwood, not pine or cedar, as it will minimize the tearout and decrease filing. If using a hand drill, clamp the coin firmly to a stable work surface.
6. Drill the holes with a 1/16” bit. If using a drill press, set the speed at a low setting (500ish rpm). If using a hand drill, pull slightly on the trigger to set a slow speed.

A round gold coin with a stick in the middle.

7. Once your holes are drilled, wipe away the pencil marks with a damp finger.

A gold Namco Pacman coin has four holes drilled in it.

8. Turn the coin over, to the hidden side, and file away any sharp points from drilling.

A round metal under a material

9. Wipe away any pencil or metal dust, and wash the button a final time with soap and water.

10. Sew your button.

Cool. 

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