Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Make your own buttons!

I got in the tutorial mood after Yvonne did a great tutorial on making napkins.

So I thought I would show how easy peasy it is to make covered buttons!



I love box pleats too! Well.... pleats in general. Box pleats are my favorite though. I love putting the button detail on a box pleat. I made these valances for my room with this detail.



It's also on my bedskirt The very wrinkly bedskirt....



and on my kitchen curtains.

All you need is these kits.



Everything you need, except for a hammer, to make the buttons is in here. Buy enough button kits for the amount of buttons you need.

I use the white part you see in the package to make circles. I just draw around them plus a bit and cut out the circle.



See my circle? I draw on everything and wonder why my kids do it too! Put it over the white open end part.


The button is in two parts. One larger piece and a smaller piece with a shank on it. Squish the part without the shank into the white part. Fold the raw edges over the button piece.


Put the shank piece over with the raw edges all tucked in and squish.



Put the smaller part of your kit over the button and whack with a hammer. I suggest whacking on a sturdy surface.


Then just pop it out and voila!

A covered button!



All that whacking didn't even bother this fella. It's a Peregrine falcon right out the kitchen window. Pretty birds, but very vicious! Before I had Syrina, I was working for my husband as his Project Manager/Office Manager. I oversaw the civil work for the wireless towers he was putting a new network on. One of the towers our civil crew was out with a tower crew that we had subcontracted. In Michigan wireless towers are often where the falcons will nest since they are about 100 feet tall. The DNR marks these towers and when you are working on them you have to have a DNR rep present. The birds are protected and it is illegal to disturb them. These poor tower guys would come off the towers actually bleeding from the falcons protecting their nests.

The moral of the story is don't mess with a falcon, they are vicious!

6 comments:

cindy said...

I likey. I bought a button making kit, but it doesn't look like yours...and it's so intimidating I've never attempted it. Maybe I should just go back and get the right kind....love that valance in your bedroom and the fabric in your kitchen is super cute!

DustyLu said...

Oh my gosh Iam going to keep this post forever. I might copy and paste to to a word file..lol..this is great thanks i always wanted to know how to do this. ~lulu

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Maggie this is a great tutorial. I'm linking this to my napkin post. Wonderful!
YVonne

Donatella said...

You make it look so easy!!The valance you made for your bedroom looks perfect did you learn to sew on your own?

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Dear Maggie,
Another skill that you had up your sleeve !! All of these little things that you can do. Did your Mum and Dad show you how to do a lot of these things ?
I will also make sure that, if I ever come across a falcon, I will not mess with it !! XXXX

Megandvd@Beauty in the Attempt said...

Covered buttons have me at hello! Put them on an article of clothing and I buy it...put it on a home item and I must have it. I am working on a few pillows with button covers. Thank you for the insight. :)

Cheers~
e