title_body: Affordable ways to crimp your own connectors
upvoted_answer: I crimp my JST connectors using needle-nose pliers. It’s probably not be best way to do it, but it’s cheap and works well for me.
  
  Place the wire with the stripped end in the metal connector piece.
  
  Squeeze perpendicular to the tabs on the connector with the pliers.
  
  Now squeeze parallel to the original direction of the tabs.
  
  Finally, squeeze perpendicularly to the original position again.
  
  Give the wire a tug to make sure it is held securely.
  
  Like I say, probably not the best way and I can’t vouch for how reliable it is, but it hasn’t let me down yet.