The Best Pin Add-ons: Make Your Custom Pins Pop

Buying a custom pin is not like buying a new car in which you add racks, running boards, alloy wheels, floor mats, video systems, stereos, spoilers and more to make it your own.  Or is it?  

As pins have increased in popularity, so have the available custom pin add-ons.  Add-on’s stimulate one’s creativity allowing unique personalized custom pins.  In other words, you get to make it your own, just like a new car.  When you get it just right, your custom pin definitely makes a statement.  Simple is often best, but in the right setting and for the right purpose, add-ons are a great choice to “Make Your Custom Pins Pop.”

Here are a few examples of the right setting and the right purpose for pin add-ons.

Can Multiple Pins Be Made into a Puzzle?

School teams from around the world gather annually in Iowa to compete in problem solving competitions at Destination Imagination and Odyssey of the Mind.  When the teams aren’t competing, they are pin trading.  As part of the experience, each team develops their own unique pin to trade with other teams.  The challenge is to create a pin that will be the “hot” pin of the event.  Trading begins the minute you arrive and ends as you board the plane to go home.  Having the coolest pin makes you the cool kid on the block so creativity is a must.  How do they make their pins pop?  By making pin sets of 3-5 individual pins that fit together, like a puzzle. This may not classify as an add-on, but if creativity is the objective – this makes the coolness factor go off the chart.  

Can Pins Have Moving Parts?

Little league baseball may seem an unlikely place for custom pins, but in reality, is one of the most popular places for custom pins.  These 8 to 12-year old kids really know how to do add-ons.  How do they make their pins pop?  With danglers, spinners, and sliders.  We like to call these moving part pins.  Imagine a baseball that slides along a track on a larger pin creating the illusion the ball is being thrown.  Or a softball pin that dangles from the main pin.  Or a baseball that spins while the main pin is stationary.  Motion in a stationary item is an add-on that draws lots of attention.

Can Blinkie Lights Be Used on Pins?

Think of a traffic light – Red, Yellow, and Green.  Now imagine each of those lights blinking on and off.  Yes, custom pins can have blinkie lights.  Or what about a police car pin with the lights flashing on top.  Or a Rudolph pin with his red nose blinking.  You are only limited by your creativity.  Blinkie lights are great add-ons.

Can Glitter Be Used for Any Color Paint?

Figure skating is a beautiful, pretty, and sparkly type of event.  So, add-ons for figure skating often include glitter, epoxy, and bright colors.  Glitter specks can be added to any color to give it sparkle.  The difference is dramatic and really adds bling to an ordinary pin.  Imagine a rainbow pin with 5 flat colors, then imagine it with 5 glitter colors.  You will notice the difference that glitter makes to a custom pin.  By adding the epoxy over the glitter, it protects the glitter and adds an additional shine.

Can You Put Stones on Pins?

The corporate world is more conservative so add-ons for custom pins is not as common.  However, one add-on that is very common is stones.  Employees are recognized for sales performance, for years of service, for certifications and more.  Because corporate demands conservative, subtle variation, and a high-end look, faux stones are a perfect add-on to achieve this look and feel.  A simple stone can make a 3-dollar pin look like a 10-dollar pin.  

Can I Use Glow in The Dark Paint?

Skeletons, jack-o-laterns, ghosts pins are unique, but what really makes them unique is a glow in the dark paint add-on.  I think if I saw a pin glowing in the dark, my reaction would be “Wow”.

Can I make a Layered Pin?

Another unique add-on is a layered pin.   By stacking or gluing two pins on top of each other you create a 3D effect that becomes very unique.  Dimension is created for a very one-dimension product.  It is also possible to do a 3D sculpted mold, which is one piece but the mold is hand sculpted to create round corners and multiple depth points.

Just like cars, almost anything is possible with custom pins.  When you have the budget, the creativity and a good pin manufacturer you can create a truly unique custom pin. Hopefully, your creative juices are flowing with this new found information and are now ready to incorporate add-ons to “Make Your Custom Pins Pop”.