20+ Enamel Pins to Creatively Accessorize Your Outfit

You can create DIY enamel pins!

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You don’t need to know how to inlay enamel to create your own pins—you just need to have a great design in mind. And at less than a dollar a pin to produce, they can offer a great way to advertise your illustration or design sensibilities.

When having your own badges produced, there are a couple of options for finishing: hard enamel and soft enamel. So, what’s the difference?

Soft enamel pins have recessed enamel, meaning that when you run your finger across its surface, it will feel “bumpy.” This is because the pin’s image is first stamped on the metal and cut to size. It’s then plated in metal such as gold or nickel. Afterward, enamel is added to the recessed areas and baked.

Hard enamel pins look glossy and feel smooth. The enamel is added before the plating, and it’s polished to the same level as the stamped metal lines. Because of this process, it’s a tricker to achieve fine details.

Once you've got your design in mind, places like Made By Cooper will produce them for you. Be sure to check out the individual specifications required, as they vary from site to site.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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