Winner of the Betseville Handbag Giveaway

Congrats to Vicki for winning our giveaway for a Betseyville handbag!  Thank you to everybody who participated!  Stay tuned for our next giveaway, coming soon . . .

101 Uses for KAM Snaps: Upcycle an Old Sweatshirt Into a Baby Sleep Sack

Sleep sacks are a great way to keep baby warm. But they can be costly. Montana Solar Creations shares a tutorial on how to make cute sleep sacks (with KAM snaps of course!) from old adult sweatshirts.  Happy upcycling!

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Win a $20 KAMsnaps.com Gift Certificate

A Life Full of Laughter is hosting a giveaway for a $20 KAMsnaps.com certificate here. No purchase necessary. Open to residents worldwide.  Ends Sept 22, 2012.  Good luck!

KAMsnaps.com Mark-Down Monday Sale: 100 Snaps for $2

On Sept 10, 2012, for 1 day only, get 100 complete sets (that's 200 caps, 100 sockets, and 100 studs) of F Medium Brown in size 20 glossy for just $2 here.  That's over 60% off!

Color: F Medium Brown. F Medium Brown is almost identical to B6 Dark Brown and can easily be confused for the same color in less than bright lighting. F Medium Brown is ever so slightly lighter than B6 Dark Brown and is a near perfect match to the PUL color called Medium Brown which was previously offered under the Fabrite brand but which now is carried under various brands.

Mark-Down Mondays happen at www.KAMsnaps.com the 1st Monday of every month (with the exception of this month due to the Labor Day holiday falling on the 1st Monday).

 Vote for the next Mark-Down Monday color on our Facebook page!

Win a Betseyville Handbag at KAMsnaps.com

 

Enter for a chance to win a Betseyville handbag (retail $88) at http://www.kamsnaps.com/Win-a-Betseyville-Handbag-73.html. Open only to US residents. Ends Sept 24, 2012. Good luck!

Donate $7 to Meals on Wheels & Get $7 Off KAMsnaps.com

There are 2 ways you can donate:

1) Donate directly to Meals on Wheels here.  Forward your donation receipt to sales@kamsnaps.com and we'll add 140 reward points (the equivalent of $7) to your account, which you can redeem on your next purchase through our website.

2) For our convenience, you may also donate through KAMsnaps.com here. Once your order is processed, we'll add 140 reward points (the equivalent of $7) to your account, which you can redeem on your next purchase through our website.  Donations made through KAMsnaps.com will be forwarded to Meals on Wheels in one lump sum on Nov 1, 2012.

Why Meals on Wheels?

Many of you know that I am heavily involved in animal rescue and that proceeds from KAMsnaps.com help to fund our rescue efforts.  But that isn't the only cause our KAMsnaps.com family feels strongly about.  My husband recently began to volunteer with Meals on Wheels, something I'm extremely proud of him for doing. We had heard of the program but did not fully realize the impact it has on the lives of so many seniors. This is our small way of bringing awareness and much needed funding to this worthy cause.

What is Meals on Wheels?

Meals on Wheels is a charitable service which provides and delivers hot meals at a significantly reduced cost, or even free, to homebound or disabled seniors 5 days a week.  It sounds straightforward but there is a much more personal aspect to this than you might initially think. For many of these seniors, the single meal they receive each day from Meals on Wheels is the only source of food they will have because they can't afford more.

But Meals on Wheels goes beyond just providing affordable meals.  Since many of the recipients live alone and are homebound, the only human interaction they will have on any given day is with the Meals on Wheels volunteer driver. Volunteers also help to keep an eye out for the recipients' well-being.  Have they fallen? Have they been eating regularly? Are they distressed?

Learn More

To learn more about Meals on Wheels, including ways to volunteer at your local chapter, please visit www.mowaa.org.

Some Super Duper Creative Cloth Diapers with KAM Snaps

KAM plastic snaps are among the most affordable, durable, and industrial-grade snaps on the market. That's why they're the brand most commonly used on commercially made cloth diapers.  You may think you've seen cloth diapers, but here are a just a few of the more creative ones that our customers have shared with us.  They all use KAM snaps of course!

Zombie Diaper by That's Sew Baby

Rainbow Scrappy Diaper with Removable Ruffles by Honeybums

Dinosaur Diaper by Cadoozled

Girasol Wrap Diaper by Rock-a-bye Booty

Removable Mustache Diaper by Cadoozled

 

 Stained Glass Diaper by Cozy's Fluff

Embroidered Believe Diaper by Luckystar Diapers

Cupcake Diaper by Bunzuke Cloth

Peacock Diaper by Bunzuke Cloth

 

Cheshire Cat Diaper by Bunzuke Cloth

 Removable Ruffle & Matching Skirt Diaper by Diaper Donks

15% off Size 16 KAM Plastic Snap

Don't miss our September Deal of the Month at KAMsnaps.com: 15% off size 16 basic KAM plastic snaps.  Use coupon 15%OFFSZ16 at checkout.

What Do Snap Sizes Mean & What Size Do I Need?

KAMsnaps.com currently offers snaps from size 14 all the way to size 24.  What do the sizes mean?

It is industry standard to refer to snaps by “size” or sometimes "line" or "ligne" according to their cap diameter. However, this “size” does not correspond to any actual measurements.  For example, size 20 snaps have a cap diameter of 12.4mm.  It is important never to confuse a snap’s “size” with its actual measurements. 

**Note that sizes 14 and 16 plastic snaps have identical studs and sockets--only the caps are different.

 

To convert mm to inches, please refer to this chart: http://mdmetric.com/tech/cvtcht.htm.

Plastic Snaps

Size	Cap Diameter	Standard Prong Length	Long Prong Length
14	9.74mm	3.5mm	5.0mm
16	10.7mm	4.2mm	5.2mm, 6.2mm, 7.2mm
20	12.4mm	5.6mm	6.2mm
22	14.1mm	7.0mm	n/a
24	14.8mm	7.5mm	n/a

Metal Snaps

Size	Cap Diameter	Prong Length
14	9.74mm	3mm
16	10.7mm	3mm
20	12.4mm	5mm
24	15mm	5mm

Measurements are approximate.

What size snap should I use?
This is somewhat of a loaded question because what size is right for you depends on your particular project, the fabric you are using, the number of layers you have, and your own personal preference.  Note that there is some flexibility in which size can be used.  For example,  if you have 4 layers of t-shirt cotton, most likely size 16 and size 20 snaps would both work.

The information below is just a general guide and may not necessarily apply to every single case:

- Size 20 is most commonly used for general applications, including baby diapers, clothing, and household projects.   This is the most popular size of plastic snaps and is a good size to start with for most projects.

- Size 16 is most commonly used for baby and toddler clothing, mama pads, and multiple layers of grosgrain ribbon.  Because size 16 caps have shorter prongs compared to size 20 caps, they are more appropriate for thinner material. For example, 2-3 layers of t-shirt cotton would probably work better with the shorter size 16 caps than size 20 caps.  Also, since size 16 sockets and studs are smaller compared to size 20 sockets and studs, they have a slightly less firm (though still firm) grip, which makes them more appropriate for delicate fabric more easily prone to tearing as a result of repeated snapping & unsnapping over time, such as stretch cotton.

- Size 14 has very short prongs and should only be used for very thin material like a single layer of grosgrain ribbon or doll clothing.  Generally, size 14 caps are so short that they're best for a single layer of thin material.  Please note however that your material may be more proned to ripping over time if you are only using a single layer.  Size 14 long prong caps would be more appropriate for multiple layers.  Size 14 sockets and studs are identical to size 16 sockets and studs.

- Sizes 24 and 22 are for heavy duty applications requiring a firmer grip, such as tote bags, tarps, coats, and upholstery. Size 24 provides the firmest grip.

Generally speaking, the smaller the “size”, the shorter the prong and the thinner the fabric they should be used for.  However, we also offer long-prong options for thicker projects. 

To make it even more interesting, you can also mix sizes.  For example, you can use size 16 caps with size 20 sockets & studs.  This is what I personally do with most of my projects because my material layers tend to be thin which work better with size 16 caps, but I prefer the stronger grip and larger size of the size 20 sockets & studs.

This can all be overwhelming to the new user not familiar with snaps or how they exactly work.  Good sizes to start with for most applications are size 20 and size 16. You can play around with each size as well as mix & match them to see what best suit your needs and preferences.  

If you are unsure which size you need, you may also purchase snap samples here. 

For answers to more frequently asked questions, including how to install snaps, what are snaps comprised of, how snaps work, and lots more, please visit our complete Beginner's Guide.