A beautiful line of XL enamel pins inspired by insect pinning: a technique used to preserve and display insects for scientific study or collection.
Capture Cicadas, Beetles, Praying Mantis pins, and more in this campaign!
Step into the cabinet of curiosities with Pinned & Preserved: a new campaign featuring a beautiful line of scientific enamel pins that celebrate the beauty of insect pinning.
Insect pinning is a technique used to preserve and display insects for scientific study or collection. This is a practice that can be traced back to the early 18th century. Here's an example of what insect pinning looks like displayed~
They already look like enamel pins on a board 🤩
The pins in this campaign are inspired by vintage field illustrations and features 3 XL pins and 2 mini pins to start off the campaign:
A shimmering gold Pharaoh Cicada
A regal gunmetal Three-horned Rhinoceros Beetle
A poisedgold & green Chinese Praying Mantis
A petite dyed metal Fire Ant
A tiny rainbow metal Bottle Fly
Each pin captures anatomic detail, delicate posture, and the unique eerie charm of insect pinning! These are perfect to add to any enamel pin collection!
🪰 Pharaoh Cicada- Magicicada septendecim Native to Canada and the United States The 17-year Cicada spends nearly two decades underground slowly growing to maturity before emerging in huge swarms to mate. Cicadas sing during the hottest hours of a summer day because their ability to produce sound is linked to their body temperature and metabolism which is higher in warm conditions.
Pin specs:
Gold metal
2.5" wide (XL pin)
Hard enamel
3 layers of screen printed details on eyes and exoskeleton
🐜 Imported Fire Ant- Solenopsis invicta Native to South America
The Fire Ant is feared for its painful venomous sting and its aggressive territorial nature. They are incredibly strong for their size and are able to lift objects up to 20 times their own body weight. This enamel pin magnifies the fire ant’s anatomy as it would appear if it was big enough to be pinned in a collector’s display.
Pin specs:
Red dyed metal
1.5" mini pin
‼️ This dyed red metal mini pin is available as a FREE bonus for collectors of three or more specimens! ✨
This species of Rhinoceros Beetle is celebrated for its remarkable size and strength, capable of lifting objects many times its own weight. These beetles are instantly recognizable by their massive horns which are used in battle for territory and mates.
Pin specs:
Black Nickel metal
3" wide (XL pin)
Hard enamel
6 layers of screen printed details on wings and armored shell
🙏🏼 Chinese Praying Mantis- Tenodera sinensis Native to Asia and the nearby islands
The Chinese Mantis is common/invasive in the Eastern United States, and is a master predator known for its stealth and patience. Its slender, elegant body allows it to blend seamlessly into its surroundings.
Pin specs:
Gold metal
3" wide (XL pin)
Hard enamel
5 layers of screen printed details on eyes, body, and wings
🪰 Bottle Fly- Family Calliphoridae
Known for its range of iridescent green and teal colors, the Bottle Fly glimmers like a jewel in the light. They are important decomposers and help accelerate the decomposition process. This enamel pin specimen slightly magnifies the fly to show off the delicate details of the wings
Pin specs:
Rainbow anodized metal
Varying colors of bottle fly species
1.5" mini pin
Each Rainbow metal pin is unique, here's some color variations the metal can become 💚🩵💙💜✨ Quick mockup of what the pin variants may look like (colors not accurate, but generally there's 3 main rainbow metal colors: green, blue, and purple
3 Pack is available in the add-on shop~
Field Notes:
Each enamel pin in Pinned & Preserved is meticulously designed using multiple references from entomology drawings, anatomical studies, and real specimen photography. These pieces are not just pins, but miniature works of natural art ready to be “pinned” to your jacket, ita bag, or display board~ just as a bug collector would arrange them under shadow boxes.
Stretch goals are determined by our community here via Polls in the Community Tab at the top of the campaign! 💚 So far there has been 3 rounds of voting, here's the next XL pins to unlock:
Stretch Goal #1: Unlocked!! 🎉 Death Hawk Moth
Gunmetal pin- 2.5" wide
Stretch Goal #2: Unlocked!! 🎉 Dragonfly
Rainbow metal pin- 3" tall
Stretch Goal #3: Unlocked!! 🎉 Black Widow Spider (Arachnid)
Here's the new stretch goals determined from the 3rd round of polls! (As of 8/18/25)
Blue Morpho Butterfly- 17%
Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth (mini pin)- 14%
Leaf Bug- 12%
Centipede- 11%
Rosy Maple Moth- 10%
Honey Bee (mini pin)- 9%
Tailless Whip Scorpion- 9%
Walking Stick- 6%
Green milkweed locust (African Bush Grasshopper)- 5%
Monarch Butterfly- 4%
(Any insects that polled less than 4% will go through a 4th round of poll voting with some new additions from the community if we come close to these new stretch goals below <3)
Stretch Goal #7:
Honey Bee + Scarlet-bodied Wasp Moth mini pins
Honey Bee- Gold 1.5" mini pin
Scarlet-Bodied Wasp Moth- Gunmetal 1.5" mini pin
These mini pins are only $11 each and are unlocked~🐝🪰❤️ Please visit the Add-on Shop to grab these little guys! :)
Stretch Goal #8: Blue Morpho Butterfly
Gunmetal pin- 3" wide
Stretch Goal #9: Leaf Bug
Gold pin- 3" tall
Stretch Goal #10: Giant North American Centipede
Gold pin- 3" tall
Stretch Goal #11: Rosy Maple Moth
Gold pin- 2.5" wide
Stretch Goal #12: Tailless Whip Scorpion
Gunmetal pin- 3" tall/wide
Stretch Goal #13: Walking Stick
Gunmetal pin- 3" tall
Stretch Goal #14: Green milkweed locust (African Bush Grasshopper)
Be sure to pledge for ALL the pins you want in the beginning of the campaign!! This will help build momentum forward to unlock everything <3 To add more XL pins, visit the Add-on Shop or upgrade to a higher pin tier! <3
Mini pin stretch goals in this campaign will unlock via the Add-on Shop! This is the only way I can differentiate mini pins that are a different pricing structure from the XL pin tier pricing. If you want one of these new mini pins, add them through the Add-on Shop for $11 each!!
Honey Bee- Gold 1.5" mini pin
Scarlet-Bodied Wasp Moth- Gunmetal 1.5" mini pin
Each mini pin will unlock after 25 orders~ 🐝🪰❤️ The Add-on Shop is the only way to add these pins, so don't forget to visit the shop!
In addition to these unlockable mini pins above, I have "live" specimens below that are in-stock and ready to ship with your order when the new pins arrive <3
Add-on Shop Live Specimen #1:
✨ Lightning Bug/ Firefly *glow* mini pins! ✨ $20 for the 4pc set ($5 each pin~)
☀️ Daytime ☀️
✨ 💚 Night time!! 💚 ✨
Add-on Shop Live Specimen #2:
💚 Luna Moth's Rebirth! ✨ $15- 2" pin with multiple layers of screen print!
This pin celebrates the end of the Luna Moth's life cycle. They do not have a mouth or digestive system, so their only purpose is to reproduce. I often find them in the fall time tattered from tumbling around <3
Did you miss out the Early Bird perks? Here's the chance to still get a free mini pin!
➡️ Don't forget! You can pledge today and pay later after the campaign is over! Pledge for the pins you want to grab to help unlock everything together! :)
➡️ NEW Collector Special Tier:
Includes (6) XL Insect Pins + (1) free Fire Ant mini pin!
Choose any unlocked pin, including unlocked stretch goals!
7 pins for only $115! (This makes each XL pin only $19 each instead of $25 each~)
Edit: Early Bird hours are over, thank you so much for an incredible first 48 hours of the campaign!! 💖
We unlocked all 5 main campaign pins and 2 stretch goal pins!! The following info in this section is for reference to Early Bird Backers~
Pledge during the first 48 hours to get the best Early Bird pricing and freebies! 🐜❤️
➡️ Don't forget! You can pledge now and pay later after the campaign is over! Pledge for the pins you want to grab to help unlock everything together! :)
**Back during Early Bird hours to lock in your pricing + freebies~ :)
NEW Early Bird Collector Special Tier:
Includes (6) XL Insect Pins + (1) free Fire Ant mini pin!
Choose any unlocked pin, including unlocked stretch goals!
7 pins for only $110! (This makes each XL pin only $18 each instead of $25 each~)
(Early Bird Tiers close on August 13th @3pm EST)
Early Bird Freebies! ❤️ 🐜
Pledge during the first 48 hours to receive a free Fire Ant vinyl sticker!
Backers who pledge for 2+ pinsduring Early Bird Hours will receive this tiny 1" mini pin for free! ❤️
Returning Backer Bonus! 🔥🪰
Returning Backers will receive a free Bottle Fly vinyl sticker as a thank you for your continued support :) <3
Returning backers who just pledged for my Pin Quest "Myths of the Underworld" campaign can combine their shipping for BOTH campaigns!! This means you'll get free shipping on this new insect campaign, and I'll combine both orders into your Pin Quest package! Pin production for both campaigns will be happening at the same time, so free shipping = more pins to add to your collection <3
August 11th @3:20pm EST- Pinned & Preserved campaign launches!
August 13th @3:20pm EST- After first 48 hours, Early Bird Tiers end
September 9th @3pm EST- Campaign ends
End of September- Backer surveys are sent out
Early October- Artwork proofs are approved and production begins after funds are received
Late November Estimate- Pins shipped to me, quality checked, packaged, and shipped to you <3
*This is an estimate. Timeline may change slightly due to production/shipping
Shipping information:
Please remember that shipping costs will be charged to you AFTER the campaign and SEPARATELY through your BackerKit survey!
The shipping estimate below is just an estimate and is subject to change. If you have any add-ons from my Etsy Shop, the price may change depending on the quantity/weight of the items.
This project is part of the Super League of Science, a curated group of science-inspired crowdfunding campaigns all launching together on BackerKit.
Every project in the League explores science in its own way — through art, storytelling, collectibles, games, zines, apparel, and more. Some dive into physics or space, others into biology, chemistry, tech, or science history. All of them celebrate curiosity and imagination.
My project: Pinned & Preserved. Celebrates the science of Entomology, or the scientific study of insects.
Be sure to check out the rest of the League — you might discover something surprising.
