Agree to Disagree
Should you buy a button maker for a single event?
Our position, and the borrow-or-buy framing.
Our position
If you are making 100 buttons for a single event and the program will not continue, do not buy a machine. Rent one from your district's curriculum library, borrow one from a neighboring school, or use an on-demand printer service. A one-event use case is not a makerspace purchase.
Other voices
Reputable sources worth reading before you decide. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance, not direct quotes.
District curriculum libraries
Nuanced / mixedMany school districts maintain loaner tool libraries. If yours does, borrow from there first.
Why trust it: Institutional resource, worth checking.
Event-driven purchasing
Pushes backSome PTAs buy equipment for one event and donate it to the school afterward. Valid path - the machine becomes the school's first, not a one-off.
Why trust it: Funding-path argument, valid.
A note on honesty: We have no affiliate arrangement with any brand or publication linked here. Labels reflect our honest read of each source's general stance as of this writing; they are not quotes. Click through and form your own view.