Easy DIY Button Bracelet Tutorial

Make This Easy Accessories with BUTTONS!

Button Charm Bracelet Tutorial

A little back ground info on this button bracelet tutorial

if you want to skip my "intro" and get  on with the tutorial  skip down to Step 1

I have always loved everything about buttons.  I find each and every one to be very special. Every button has a unique tale to tell. Like the one I have from Grandpas WWII Navy Peacoat, if it could talk...  I remember the day my Grandma gave it to me. Or  how about the one I have from my High School cheerleading uniform, I had some good times in that button.  New buttons are just as special, like the start of a new book. Their story is yet to unfold but is sure to be an amazing one.

So when I had the opportunity to shop at Lots of Buttons in Exchange for a craft tutorial.   Well I don't have to tell you how excited I was, I am sure you can guess.  I owe this opportunity to Totally Tutorials! You can find more details about the exchange program here

What will I be making with the buttons I got with my gift certificate?   

Well one of my favorite things to make is accessories!  So I am going to show you how to make multiple types of accessories with... you guessed it, buttons!  When I saw the button selection the first thing that came to mind was a charm bracelet.  They are so easy to make, and look absolutely stunning when finished.  So let's get going with the first tutorial!

This bracelet will look a little different from every angle because of how the buttons lay.

Step 1 Gather The Materials  For this project you need

(and your jewelry pliers) 

1. Buttons These are the ones I used

   

I recommend using buttons with a "shank" backing.  They are easy to use and give a  finished look.

2. Jump Rings

*Tip

* A good option is to get a pack with multiple size jump rings.This helps since the button shanks are all different sizes.
*oval jump rings will help the buttons lay flat, but are not necessary.

3. Chain with Clasp

*Tip 

*The "charm bracelet chain" like the one in my inspiration photo is a good option.  

* Different chains will produce a diffident look. Bigger chain works best with bigger buttons, while the smaller chains work best with the smaller buttons.

 4. Jewelry Pliers

*tip Using two pairs helps attach the jump rings in an easier way.

Step 2 Arrange You Buttons You will see what looks best

My button "rough draft"

Place your buttons along the length of your chain. This helps you visualize what order you want to attach the buttons to the chain.  Keep in mind that once you do attach the buttons they will hang a bit differently, do to the movement provided by the jump rings.Think of this step as a "rough draft" . 

*tip

Don't spend a lot of your time on this step, because no matter how you attach the buttons they will look amazing.  That is the beauty of this project it looks great no matter what, you can't mess it up

Step 3 Attach Buttons Now this project will come to life!

Attach the buttons to your chain with the jump rings.  Sometimes after adding a few buttons, you might want to move one and try it in a new spot.  This technique works well to produce the perfect look. *Tip If  you do move a button, remember that jump rings will start to loose their integrity the more times they are opened and closed.  So when you find the perfect location for your button make sure to use a new jump ring.

Guess what?

 That is it, you are done with this fun accessory!

The left side

That is all it takes to make this gorgeous Button Charm bracelet!

Just look how beautiful it looks from this angle!

The right side

Then some how it looks just as amazing form this angle!  

What I love most about this, its how good it looks and how easy it is to make!

Oh I almost for got... One last step

Try it on and admire your amazing work

Thank you for looking at my tutorial today.  I hope you will give this bracelet a try. If you do Please show me how yours turns out!  I would love to add your photo to my blog.

 It was fun and easy to make and I think you will agree that it is a  stunning piece to have in your collection   ENJOY!

Kasey

lots of buttons.... Got em!

Wanna see, I know I was excited too

I just received my buttons from Lots of Buttons 

I applied for this fantastic exchange program organized by Totally Tutorials. I got a gift certificate from Lots of Buttons in return I will be creating and sharing a fab tutorial.  I just received my buttons! And let me tell you I am excited!  They are AMAZING!  You should be excited as well, why? Because all this means a Fab button tutorial is on its way.  The project deadline is tomorrow... I don't know how I am going to do it.  I will not let any one down though.  

This is how it looked when I first got it! Exciting, right? From over seas!  I feel special.

When I opened the package I found another package!  A cute little white envelope that had the LOTS OF BUTTONS logo on it.  I don't know about you but I just love when companies take the time to add cute packaging.  It makes people like me, who love  receiving things, feel that much more EXCITED.  This second envelope was very puffy... I knew that meant it was full of... you guessed it. BUTTONS! 

This is what I got!  

 I made it a little hard for you to see them all, so you will have to tune in tomorrow for the final project reveal if you want to see everything I got!

OK then I am off to bed for some beauty rest so I can craft away during nap time tomorrow.

Kasey

A Minute In My Life Monday

A Day in my Life? How About a Minute?

I am standing about 8 inches away from my very large TV. Why so close? This is the only way I can even partially hear it. I have been trying to catch the end of this movie for a few days now. The baby is slamming his toy on the windowsill while he screams as loud as he can some random baby babble. As for the dogs, well they are running in circles barking at the air like fools, this is pretty normal. I am using my new gift that came with motherhood and tuning all this noise out in hopes of being able to listen to the last minute of this movie. A movie that I have already re-wound a number of times in the past half hour alone.

While standing there trying to watch the end of this movie, I realize that this is probably the only moment in the day, if not the week, that I will not be holding my baby. So I take advantage of the few seconds I have and pull out my pony tail holder and let my hair down. I try to finger comb out the gigantic knot that has developed in my hair. Keep in mind my hair is still falling out in huge globs since giving birth. Finger combing is not putting much of a dent in the gigantic  knot. I started thinking about how I got this nasty knot in my hair... again this year. Something that has been occurring ever since having the little man.

Yesterday when the baby was in my arms, naked he had a number two type of accident. So the two of us jumped into the shower. I was so concerned with getting us sanitized that I forgot to remove my pony tail and wash my hair. Then when we got out of the shower I realized we only had one clean towel! DAMN IT! I thought as I dried the baby with the only towel. I whipped my hair into a bun while I dripped dried. I pulled my clothes on to my wet body holding a squirming baby. Simultaneously yelling at his Dad “stop that damn drumming, you need to watch this baby so I can start some laundry”. Obviously someone needed to start a load of towels and baby Daddy had told me his hands will fall off if he has to do this.

DAMN IT AGAIN! I totally lose track of the movie, again while I was thinking back on how I got this stupid knot in my hair. So as I try to bang the battery section on the back of the remote; so I can rewind. I notices a big wad of hair accumulating in my hands from my finger combing. Deciding that I was getting know where fast with that and opted to put my hair back up. Something other than the TV caught my eye. Shocking as I was standing right in front of a HUGE TV. You see we live on the side of a mountain and have a wall that is all windows; I guess the idea with that is so you can always have a great view of the mountains. But that is not what caught my eye. It was my extremely handsome man who was outside the wall of windows. Well actually his arms are what caught my eye, he was loading his drums into his truck, I guess this takes some muscle flexing. Just as I was admiring him and thinking about all my love for him. The TV quickly tuned out and the sounds of the dogs barking and the baby yelling all came rushing back to me. They were loud, so loud that I can’t believe I had them tuned out. I realized that the baby was yelling DAAADY!. Ahhh, now I know why they were all being so loud. They were all trying to get Daddy’s attention through the window. I noticed he was oblivious to the family trying to get his attention from inside the house. I picked up the baby and noticed the TV… the credits were playing.
DAMN IT!

Display Your New Born Hat, On A Pillow?

A unique way to display and use your babies new born hats and burp cloths.  Make a pillow!

I got these burp cloths when I was pregnant.  They were so cute and soft I could not resist.  That was before I knew what was really needed in burp cloths and promptly switched to cloth diapers for a burp cloth like all the other Mom's out there.  I just loved these little ones that I had thought, because they are so cute and soft.  I looked at them trying to figure out what I could make with them and thought, PILLOW?!

Ok here we go

What you need

Filling(Often find good deals at thrift stores)
Two sided burp cloth
Needle
Thread
Seam Ripper


Step 1

Get to seam ripping, make a small hole to put your filling in.  I had to remove a tag so I used the spot that the tag was located.

Step 2

Stuff your soon to be pillow, fill it up very well so it wont flatten out when your baby lays on it.
Step 3

Pin the little hole and stitch it closed with a needle and thread
TIP
A little liquid stitch will help prevent the old thread from unraveling, JUST A DAB!

You could use the glue to close the pillow if you are especially lazy

Step 4
This step is optional in your pillow making process.

Attach your cute matching New Born hat to what ever side of your pillow you like.  I could not decide, so I pined it to both sides and looked and thought and looked and thought.  I chose the blue side and I did not have a thread that I liked so I used a few stitches on the bottom layer of the hat for the photos.  If I had the correct thread I would use a Whipstitch.

And that is it! A super easy way to make a pillow and show of a baby hat of yours!  Hope you enjoyed this tutorial

And the other side...

Polka Dot Shoe Refashion

How to Refashion Your Shoes into Bright Polka Dot Shoes

One day when I was being super productive researching important things on Pintrest, I came across this shoe , it was pinned by Amy Anderson of Mof Podge Rocks(She always has the best pins!) I loved the pair and looked into buying them.  The shoe is made by Poetic Licence and they make a bunch of cute shoes, however this one was sold out. When I saw the price on the other ones and took into consideration that I don't have a job and have a new baby and a bad back... I thought maybe I should try and make them!  So I did and I am going to show you how did it, so you can make them too!  Ok then lets get started!


This is the picture that I pinned

I got pretty close with this one

Before and after, I am so proud of this..can you tell?

Ok lets get going with the tutorial

What you need
Shoe with a strap
spray paint
spray primer
acrylic paint
lacquer sealer(gloss)
Round sponge brushes
small paint brush
tape





Steps 1-3
The easy steps

1. Tape the shoes with painters tape making sure to cover any place you don't want to spray paint.


2. Spray with primer.


3. Paint.  I did 3 very thin coats(Thin coats help prevent drips)

*Tip- Primer is not always unnecessary but it helps the paint to stick better, look better last longer and  helps with drastic color changes. So you don't have to use it.  The thing is if you skip this step and find that it was needed you will have a long road of sanding and crying.  So to be on the safe side, take the extra time to prime your shoes.


Step 4
Paint the dots

Paint the big pink and white dots. I used these awesome things to do my dot painting with.  I had to order mine because we don't have a craft store for 45 miles.  I ordered a mixed pack and I was so impressed with them, I don't think I will go back to using the black ones for painting.  A round stamp or something like that might also work. Just be sure to dip it in the paint then a practice stamp on paper to get rid of the excess, then on the shoe.


*Tip- If any of your spots turn out like this(see photo below)Touch them up with a paint brush.

Step 5
Hand paint the little dots on the strap

I think the little dots are my favorite part

The inspiration had cute little dots on the strap.  I used a small paint brush and dipped it in white paint then right on to the shoe(no getting rid of the excess on paper)


Step 6(I know this tutorial has a lot more steps than my usual easy tutorials, but were almost done)
Paint with a clear coat of Mod Podge, I used a gloss to make the shoes nice and shiny!
This helps to seal the acrylic paint onto the spay paint so it want chip off as well as giving a gloss to the finish

                                                 JUST LOOK AT THAT SHINE!

ONE LAST STEP!
Ok I thought I done and went in to my yard taking a bunch of photos, excited to type up my post.  When I up loaded the pictures and looked at them I though what is that uuugly button?


Last step, step 7
Attach a button
I chose a button from my stash that looked most like the inspiration picture.  I just cut of the old button and hot glued the new one down.  Depending on what your shoe looks like, you may have to get a little creative on how to attach it.

Well friends that is it!  Its pretty simple to fallow the steps.  You just need to talk you time with the painting.  Making sure you don't over load your brush because that will deform your dots.  You want to use a nice spray paint like I did to help prevent any drips. I really hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you have any questions please ask!

It was such a nice day that I got carried away with my photos

Well friends thank you for looking

Kasey