Happy Election Year Canada | Campaign Buttons for Federal Election 2019

by CBO Ottawa January 03, 2019

This election year, use the power of the pinback to spread your political message wide and far.

Get tips and inspiration from the leading button experts in Canada, on how to order custom campaign buttons and other promotional products that won't break your campaign budget.

We also offer DIY button machines, blank button supplies and button press rentals.

A button is a messaging tool, a small canvas for ordinary people to express themselves. A button can be the weapon of the oppressed or a quiet form of passive resistance.

Compared to other promotional products, buttons stand out as being:

Super affordable promotional item
Easy to make yourself: A literal 4-year old can learn how to make a button. Scroll down to read more about how to press your own pins.
Something people wear everywhere, everyday: A t-shirt must be washed at some point, a hat cannot be worn everywhere and a key-chain is often tucked away in your pocket or purse. But a button pinned to a backpack or jacket will be displaying your message in all places, at all times.
Memorable & collectible: If you take a look in your keepsake box right now, I bet there is a button in there. Or you may have a memory of a button from your childhood, or remember a specific political pin from the first time you got to vote in an election. Buttons are highly valued by collectors.

What's considered the first button in history was made in 1787 and depicted a slave in chains along the slogan "Am I not a man and a brother". This historic button was meant to promote the British anti-slavery movement to the House of Commons.

Order Custom Buttons Here

Of all the button companies in Canada, dare we say that we are the NICEST!

Custom Buttons Ottawa offer a wide range of button sizes and shapes.

In addition to traditional, round campaign badges, we're also equipped to make square campaign buttons, rectangular campaign pins and oval campaign buttons. Any of those shapes will make you stand out in the canvassing crowd!

Our team of button experts are here to make sure you get what you need, when you need it. Unlike some other promotional products companies in Canada, we have no minimum orders.

Regardless if you need just 1 button or 10,000 - we're here to give you excellent service.

Custom Buttons Ottawa has a local button store in Little Italy where you can get campaign buttons made, pick up button supplies, buy or rent a button press.

Place your order online or come see us in person at 169 Preston Street.

If you are in Toronto, you can visit our affiliate Toronto button company, People Power Press.

Which Button Size to Use for Campaign Buttons

The most common campaign button size is 2-1/4".

Other popular button sizes for political buttons are 2-1/2" and 3".

For those with a very BIG message, we're also equipped to make the largest button size, 6" buttons.

Please check out this pin button size chart to get a better idea of which button size to order.

How Long Does It Take to Get Buttons Made?

We can usually produce up to 1000 buttons per business day. Smaller button orders in Ottawa can normally be turned around in just one business day.

Larger orders may be produced in Toronto and made ready for pick up in Ottawa within a week or so.

We also offer express shipping options.

If you have a last minute button rush order, please call or email today and let us help you get your buttons made on time!

Design Your Campaign Buttons Online

Who has time to learn how to use Photoshop, Illustrator or Gimp just to get some buttons printed, right?

With our website's built-in button designer app you can create stunning button designs in just minutes. This free-to-use online design program is as uncomplicated as it gets.

Further Instructions on How to Design Your Buttons Online

If you prefer to use a graphics software like Illustrator, Photoshop or Gimp to create your campaign buttons, you can download button design templates from People Power Press here:

Campaign Button Templates Free Download

Campaign Button Design Inspiration: What Slogan, Message or Image to Put on Your Button

How do you come up with a really good button design that captures who you are and what you stand?

For custom campaign buttons, it's common for the design to include:

The name of the candidate
The party they represent
The riding they represent
The year of the election
The colours of their party
A URL address to inform voters where they can learn more
A declaration of endorsement (usually along the outside/back edge), which declares who has sponsored/paid for the promotional materials and that the person in question is authorized to be campaigning on behalf of that party

For button design inspiration, have a look at these past prime minister candidates' campaign pins and vintage button designs from past Canadian elections.

Also consider making volunteer buttons for your canvassers and other volunteers so that potential voters immediately recognize which party the volunteer represents.

Do-it-Yourself: How to Make Your Own Buttons

Anyone can learn how to make a campaign button! It only takes minutes to learn the button pressing process.

If you don't believe it's that easy, just watch our DIY button making how to video.

The Tecre machine used in the video can make a variety of products, not just buttons.

Other products you can make with Tecre button maker:

Magnets
Key-chains
Bottle Openers
Pocket Mirrors
Rosette Buttons
Zipper Pull Buttons

Are Button Makers Worth the Investment?

Yes, probably.

If your political organisation or yourself are contemplating purchasing a button machine, you will find that a button press will come to good use in a number of ways.

Grab Voter's Attention With a Make-A-Button Station

Bring the button press to your next public event and set up at Make-a-Button booth. Get people to draw their own designs and turn them into a button right there and then.

You should also have some of your own designs on hand for people who don’t want to draw. Create and bring a load of button slogans that are relevant for your cause.

People will flock to your table and as they come they will bring more people. All the time people stand at your table, reading your button designs, more people will come.

Great Activity For Campaign Volunteers

So you've managed to get a large number of volunteers to come in and help you with your political campaign, awesome! But you need a way to utilise that people power.

Explaining to a new volunteer how to make buttons takes literally a minute or two. They work away at making buttons and as finished buttons pile up, they get a sense of achievement.

You can use the button maker to judge staying power in your new volunteer. Once they have proved themselves by making buttons, you know it's worth investing more time in them.

Cheap Button Makers Will Leave You With a Headache

These days you can find a number of hobby button machines for sale online. Usually manufactured with cheap plastic parts that will break after a few hundred buttons.

We stock sturdy, high quality button makers that are built to last a life time (these button makers even come with a life time warranty from the manufacturer).

The Tecre machines are made of all metal, they are so easy-to-use and because of their durability they have a very high resale value (in case you botch the election and never want to look at another campaign button again!)

Where to Get "Blank Campaign Buttons" (Parts, Supplies & Material for Making Campaign Buttons)

Order Parts & Supplies for Button Makers

You can pick up blank campaign button supplies directly from our button shops in Ottawa, Toronto and Napanee.

If you live in another Canadian province, our shipping team is super fast and get most orders ready to ship within 24 business hours.

If you need button supplies in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, Nunavut, Yukon, Alberta or Prince Edward Island, we're here for you!

Button Supplies Fast Delivery

If you need DIY button parts & supplies delivered in a rush, please get on the horn to find out about our available express shipping options (we make next day button parts deliveries happen everyday!)

Our warehouse stocks badge parts & supplies (US sized, measures in inches) for a number of different button machine brands, including:

Tecre button parts (pick up now!)
Badge-a-Minit parts (please order ahead)
Badge-A-Matic parts (please order ahead)
T150 button supplies (please order ahead)
Mr Button parts (please order ahead)
Flex1000 button supplies (pick up now!)
Flex2000 button supplies (pick up now!)
Flex3000 button parts (pick up now!)

Which Button Parts Do I Need?

If you have a standard Tecre model like this one, you will find a model number on the side label of the machine.

For example, 'Model 225' button maker requires 2.25" (2-1/4") supplies.

Give us a call, email or bring your machine to our store if you need help identifying your button maker brand and which button parts size you should order.

Where to Rent a Button Making Machine

Please Call or Email to Book a DIY Button Machine

You can rent a button press in Ottawa from our store in Little Italy.

Rent the button maker by the hour, day, week or month.

We have button machine rentals available in a wide range of round sizes, as well as button machines that make rectangle shaped buttons or square shaped buttons.

If you want to rent a button machine in Toronto, please get in touch with our affiliates at People Power Press.

Federal elections are usually held every four years, on the third Monday of October.

As the last election took place on October 19, 2015, the next fixed election date is October 21, 2019.

But general elections can also be called at another date, if and when the Prime Minister asks the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. Then the Governor in Council (the Governor General, acting on the advice of Cabinet) sets the date of the election.

What Are the 6 Main Political Parties in Canada?

Liberal Party
Conservative Party
New Democratic Party
Bloc Québécois Party
Green Party
People's Party

How Long Do Election Campaigns Last In Canada?

At minimum, the federal election campaigns in Canada must last for 36 days, according to the Canada Elections Act. The act doesn't specify a maximum amount of campaign days.

The 78 days long election campaign of 2015 was the longest campaign period since 1872.

The average length of federal election campaigns in Canada is 50 days.

What Is a Political Campaign Strategy?

A political marketing strategy is the backbone of an election campaign. It's all about how parties and candidates plan out their proposed pathway to winning the election.

The strategy is based on the understanding of who will vote for the candidate and why they will do so.

Good Luck with Your Campaign!

A Guide to Campaign Buttons from People Power Press

Happy Election Year Canada | Campaign Buttons for Federal Election 2019

Why Use Buttons for Political Campaigns

Where to Get Custom Campaign Buttons Made

Order Custom Buttons Here

Which Button Size to Use for Campaign Buttons

How Often Are Federal Elections Held?

What Are the 6 Main Political Parties in Canada?

Who's Running for Prime Minister in 2019?