(Join the Resistance - Poe Button)
I've been a fan of Casey Maute's buttons ever since she opened her shop, Parkbound Buttons, two years ago today! I personally own a handful of her Star Wars and Disney buttons and even have some up as decoration on a memory board in my dining room. I just love them! If her buttons look familiar to you, you've probably seen several of her fans wearing them around the parks. After all, she does have over 18,000 followers on Instagram. The quality of Casey's 3 inch pinback buttons (which are only $3.00!) are so superb, you'd think they came straight from Disneyland! They are colorful and creative and she makes buttons to suit several different fandoms. One of my favorites? Why the Matt the Radar Technician Button which reads "A buddy of mine said Kylo Ren had an 8-pack". Hilarious! So to celebrate Casey and all she has accomplished, I asked her if she would answer a few questions for all her fans. Be sure to read through the entire interview as she gives us a hint of some upcoming buttons she's currently working on!
What inspired you to start Parkbound Buttons?
I have always been crafty growing up and used to sell jewelry and accessories that I made at craft shows. As I got older, I became less and less of a jewelry person and my interest in Disney had peaked so I wanted to create something that anyone could wear at the parks. I'm not a great sewer, so custom ears were out, but I used to make hand drawn pinback buttons and had a stack of "I'm Celebrating!" buttons in my collection from my last Disney trip. I thought it would be cool to have different sayings on the buttons that you couldn't get in the parks, so that's where Parkbound began!
Which buttons did you create first?
I created four buttons in my first trial run of Parkbound. I made a Rapunzel "Frying Pans... Who Knew?" button, a Dug from Up button with the saying "I have just met you and I love you!", Ariel with "Part of Your World", and a Lambie from Doc McStuffins button that said "Cuddle Expert". The original Rapunzel and Dug buttons are still in the shop today. The Ariel button has been modified over the years.
("Chewie, We're Home!" Button)
Did you ever expect the vast amount of dedicated fans that you have now?
Never in a million years did I think I would still be doing this two years later and it would be my full-time job. Watching the business grow has been amazing and I feel super lucky.
What programs/tools do you use to create your buttons?
I use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create the buttons, and I have a professional manufacturer actually press the buttons for me. Their quality is way better than I could ever do in my home.
What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to start their own at-home business?
Do something that makes you happy. If you can't stand behind what you are doing, you shouldn't be doing it. And if it stops being fun, do something else. That's always been my motto.
Do you collect buttons from different fandoms such as Star Wars, Disney, and Marvel? How do you go about collecting them? What else do you collect?
I like to collect old Disney parks buttons. I get them as gifts or find them on eBay or in flea markets! I have a lot of collections, though! I collect Funko Pops and Dorbz, Disney Tsum Tsums, Vinylmation, stuffed animals and basically anything cute! Right now the Star Wars and Marvel Tsum Tsums are what I'm after most!
Are there future buttons you're working on that you can give us a hint about?
I am working on some new Zootopia buttons after seeing the movie and working on a super secret collaboration with another artist that I met through Instagram. It's going to be unlike any of my other buttons and we are both super excited!
Besides parkboundbuttons.com, where else can we find you online?
You can find me on Instagram and Twitter as "caseyandthebear" or on Facebook.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Casey! Here's to many more years of #parkbound !
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