I recently starting using some Amazon Dash buttons to log every time I get a soda from the fridge. A few days ago there was a sale (with coupon!) to get 3 Dash buttons for $5, so now I can individually track soda AND water consumption. Additionally, I’ve created a template for making your own Dash button labels.
DXF file of template
Silhouette Cameo file of template
Setup:
If you haven’t heard of Dash buttons before, they’re these super cheap little devices Amazon sells that allow you to order popular items with just the touch of a button. I suppose some people use them for that purpose, but it turns out it’s really easy to block them from reaching out to Amazon, and having a script intercept that call and then do something else with it. One of the easiest guides and programs I have found to do this, Dasher, can be found here on GitHub. I am currently using Dasher in conjunction with IFTTT which makes integrating your buttons with other services trivial. The process is fairly straightforward, and just involves modify the example json script included with Dasher and adding in your IFTTT webhooks event details.
The process therefore goes something like this: Dash button pressed -> Dasher grabs the call -> Dasher then sends a request to IFTTT -> IFTTT completes the assigned task.
In my case, I’m using IFTTT to log various values to a spreadsheet in Google Drive.
It doesn’t really matter which buttons you purchase, since they won’t be able to connect to Amazon anyway. Pick some that you think look cool, or continue reading this post to see how I made some custom labels.
Design:
I wanted some consistent labels for my buttons, so I wouldn’t have random logos marking up the fridge. I made a template in Illustrator, then exported it to Silhouette Studio before cutting it out of adhesive vinyl. I used Oracal 651 vinyl, which is fairly forgiving in this situation. It can be re-positioned on these buttons a few times.
Unfortunately, my Silhouette Cameo can’t cut details fine enough to make this project look really sharp. I’m still content with the results, but some of the text turned out a bit rough.
Conclusion:
That’s it! I just wanted to provide some templates to anyone else interested in making something similar, and display my results. If you haven’t played with Dash buttons before, give it a shot! They’re normally $5/ea, but they go on sale for $1-2 fairly often. With IFTTT, you can easily make a wireless button for almost anything!
See you later, my dudes.
Leave a Reply