Get your button gear (coloring page)!

Are you late for starting plants for spring?

Is your family standing outside by the car waiting for you to finish up a bit of coloring?

Is there anyone you know having those kinds of problems?

Well, here you go. A button gear just for you or for anyone else you think needs to get their button gear.


Click the images below for larger versions to print and color.

Button gear coloring page small jpg:

Button gear coloring page large transparent png:

Button and Plaid 2x2x2 Printable Box

I hope you enjoy this printable button and plaid box! Click the image for a larger version, cut, score, fold, glue!

The plaid was inspired by having homemade slushies this afternoon. The slushies made me think of Heathers, and Heathers made me think of preppy 80s plaids.

We make cherry slushies using:

• 1 pack of unsweetened Cherry Kool-Aid
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 2 trays of ice
• 1.5 cups of water

Blend blend blend! My kids like them better than the ones from the convenience store, they cost less, and are made with sugar instead of corn syrup, and have vitamin C in them.

Flower Pins

Last year at our Pride Festival, TG got this flowered lei, this year, for more rainbowed goodness for Pride Week, she decided to make the flowers go further as scatter pins.

We discussed the best way to go about it, since the flowers have unfinished edges, we had to decide if we liked them like that or wanted to seal them. She said she liked the frayed edges. We did experiment with some sealing options. Heating the edges carefully with a lighter worked, so did glue which looked good with glitter added. I do recommend if you're going to use glue and glitter to use a fine applicator and a crystal glitter. Colored glitters can be a bit too much. Nail polish will also work or of course Fray Check.

To make these pins, all you need is fake flower lei like the one shown above, thread, needle, scissors, buttons and pin backs. The pin backs we used were from a thrift store, and safety pins would work too. The buttons were from my button stash. So the only thing we bought new was the thread.

I made one, and was pretty careful about my stitching. I stacked the flowers and tied a knot in the thread and pulled put it through the top of the flowers, around the pin back, back up through the flowers, then added the button. Sewed it carefully in place then hid the knot between the button and flowers. TG decided that the thread ends wouldn't matter very much since it was for her jacket and knotted on the back of the flower.

There are still a lot of flowers left. I'm planning to use smaller buttons and sew them to some hair pins (the U shaped ones) for myself and TG is thinking of other things she can use them on. So far, we've talked about purses and miniature fairy dolls. 

Button Your Braids- hair tie tutorial

I like buttons! This project takes 2 large buttons and 2 smaller buttons to make a pair of hair ties. The finished ties are wrapped around the hair a few times, then secure it closed by pulling the elastic over the button. This project is super quick.

You will need:
2 big buttons
2 smaller buttons- contrasting colors are great
1/16 inch elastic cord
Strong sewing thread
Glue- Super glue or PVA glue will work. It's used to secure the knot.
Scissors

Cut 2 5 inch pieces of elastic cord and thread each button with elastic, the two ends should come out on top of the button. Tie a square knot in the elastic.

How to tie a square knot

Secure the knot with a dab of glue and trim close.

Thread your needle, and go down through the top of the button and back up through the other hole, leaving a tail, tie the working end of the thread and the tail end of the thread in a tight knot. go through the button a second time, and when you come back up, put on the small button. Sew securely to the bottom button. When it's securely sewn on, bring the needle and thread between the two buttons and tie the end off to the tail, pulling tight so the knot is between the button. Tie a couple more knots to keep it secure, and cut off the ends of the thread as close as possible between the two buttons.

Wrap the elastic around your braid a few times, then pull the loop over the button to close!

My daughter loves these, and I enjoy the fun of them quite a bit as well. If you're using stash buttons, you can make a lot of these for a lot less than buying decorated hair ties. 

Crocheted Gift Card Holders- Pattern

Gift Card Holders- These are made using Bernat Mosaic Yarn, which an acrylic yarn that self stripes in wonderful colors. Both of those came off the same skein of Psychedelic colorway and right now it's on sale at the Bernat site. Not affiliated, just letting you know!

These can also be used after the holidays to hold gift cards or ID cards. I used stash buttons and had fun picking them out. The large button is actually 2 vintage buttons stacked.

You will need:
Worsted weight yarn (I recommend the mosaic for the stripes!)
size G crochet hook
Yarn needle to weave in ends
Tapestry needle
embroidery floss to match
Buttons!

Super easy! This is all done in single crochet (sc) chains (ch) and slip stitch (sl st) - stitches (sts)

Chain 12
Skip first ch and slip stitch the rest of the chain. I like working off this kind of base for things worked in the round off a starting chain because it makes a more solid bottom.
Round 1: ch 1- does not count as first stitch here or throughout- sc in same st and next 9 sts, 2 sc in 11th stitch, sc in next 10 sts, sl st to join (22 stitches)
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, sl st to join
Round 3-17: Repeat Round 2
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, sc in next 10 sts, (11 stitches)
Row 2-11: Repeat row 1

The next row is the button hole row. If you're using 2 5/8 inch buttons you'll do it this way
Row12: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, sc in next stitch, ch 2, skip 2 stitches, sc in next 3 stitches, ch 2, skip 2 stitch, sc in last 2 stitches

If you're using a large button, mine is about an inch and half wide-
Row 12: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, sc in next 2 stitches, chain 5, sc in next 3 stitches

Row 13: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, sc in each stitch across (11 stitches)
Row 14-15: Repeat Row 13- break off yarn, weave in ends

Stitch on the buttons. What I do is close the flap, then thread my tapestry needle with the floss, put the needle and floss through the button hole in the middle and through the bag. Lift the flap carefully without dislodging the needle and note where the needle is placed in the bag. Then I pull the needle out and put it under the stitch on just that side of the bag, not through both layers, pull it up and tie it in a knot on top of the pouch leaving a tail. Then put the button over the knot and sew it into place, then I tie my second knot under the button using both ends and double knotting. Fold the pouch back so I can get to the ends of the thread and trim close.Then there aren't loose ends on in the inside of the pouch and they are hidden behind the button.

Fun way to use more stash buttons!

Product Review-The Button Factory

I was thinking of doing a gift guide of some of my favorite things that I've gotten and used in the last year. This will absolutely be on that list,The Button Factory: Everything You Need to Instantly Create 25 Fabric-Covered Pins!

The kit comes with the parts to make 25 pins, backs and tops. You cut out a circle of fabric and put it face down and centered into a soft rubbery feeling mold, then put in the button top, dome side down and fold the fabric into it, then the pin back and use a plastic piece to push the pin back into the pin top, trapping the fabric  edges neatly between the two and you have a fabric covered pin! You can embroider the fabric for a nice hand made detail, or stencil or stamp the fabric. 

I embroidered over prints in the purple and rose fabric above. Just tracing the elements in the fabric, then cutting out the circle and setting it in the pins. If you're a fabric addict, these can be made with very small scraps. A 2 inch square is all you'll need. 

Because these go together so easily, they are a wonderful project for parties. If you're so inclined, you and your friends, or your daughter and her friends can embroider small designs and set them in pins. If counted cross stitch is what you like best, these won't work with standard 14 count fabric, it's a little too thick, but I think they will work fine with even count linen. 

Also included in the kit are 2 strips of fabric with 2 small scale designs on each strip and a booklet with the template for cutting the fabric circles and ideas for making and packaging pins.

 Here's a photo with a penny for scale to see the button size.

You can get The Button Factory: Everything You Need to Instantly Create 25 Fabric-Covered Pins! directly from the publisher, Chronicle Books or by clicking the Amazon.com affiliate link below.

Amazon.com affiliate links don't affect your cost, and provide extra income to me personally, which helps support my book addiction.

You can get more information about my review policy here.

The Doctor Who fabric is Studio Fibonacci's Doctors, Monsters and Friends available on Spoonflower. The purple flower and the forget-me-not are from my own Spoonflower designs.

Crochet Cuff Pattern

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for At Home With Handmade Books!

6 chances to win! Entries will be closed on September 22, 2011. Good luck!

This crochet cuff works up very quickly and uses single crochets, chains and double crochets. The same stitch can be used for a scarf. The base is a multiple of 6+1, although it can be modified for a multiple of 3+1 by changing the end of the rows.

American terminology used throughout.
ch= chain stitch
dc= double crochet
sc= single crochet
st or sts= stitch or stitches
You will need:
Size D hook (3.25 mm)
Size 3 Cotton thread or equivalent- for my friends not in the US, size 3 cotton is pretty close in thickness to a light DK or Aus 5 ply.  Wool will be stretchier, but it should work.
3 size 30 or 3/4 inch buttons (about 20 mm)
tapestry needle
embroidery floss for sewing on the buttons

The buttons used in my example are vintage buttons from my button box. Otherwise, I think Dritz size 30 fabric covered button kits would have been very cute!

These have quite a bit of stretch, but I made mine a bit loose so it wouldn't distort. Your mileage may vary, so check it as you make it.

Chain 13
Row 1: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in 2nd chain from hook, sc in each chain across (13 sc)
Row 2: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in each sc.
Row 3: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) , sc in first sc, ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in next sc, ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in next sc, ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in last stitch (3 button holes)
Row 4: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in first sc, 3 sc in ch 3, sc in next sc, 3 sc in ch 3, sc in next sc, 3 sc in ch 3, sc in last st (13 sc)

Row 5: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first sc, ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in next st, ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in last stitch (4 loops)
Row 6: ch 5, sc in first loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3 sc in next loop, ch 3, dc in last st from previous row. (5 loops)
Row 7: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in first chain, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in 3rd ch in the ch 5 loop.(4 loops)
Row 8:ch 5, sc in first loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3, sc in next loop, ch 3 sc in next loop, ch 3, dc in last st from previous row.(5 loops)
Row 9: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in first ch, ch 2, sc in next loop, ch 2, sc in next loop, ch 2, sc in next loop, ch 2, sc in 3rd ch of ch 5 loop. (4 ch 2 spaces)
Row 10: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in sc, 2 sc in ch 2, sc in sc, 2 sc in ch 2, sc in sc,  2 sc in ch 2, sc in sc, 2 sc in ch 2, sc in sc (13 sc)
Row 11: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in each sc.
Row 12: ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in each sc.

Repeat Rows 5-12 3 more times for a total of 4 mesh areas. Check cuff on wrist. If you need to add a couple more rows of single crochet, do that. Break off thread and weave in ends then stitch the 3 buttons into place on that side. I do my knots between the button and the crochet so I don't have ends showing on the back of the bracelet.

If you have very small wrists, or prefer the bracelet stretched, you can either switch to a smaller hook size or remove one row of sc from the sc sections so it's only 2 rows instead of 3.
Click on the chart for a larger version if you prefer charted patterns. If you don't know how to read international crochet notation, but would like to try it and feel confident with the written pattern, in international  crochet, a 0 is a chain, X is a single crochet, and the crossed T is a double crochet. With other patterns, the T will have the number of crosses that you work off the stitch, so a T with no cross is what Americans call a "half double crochet". One with 2 crosses would be what we call a treble or triple and so forth.

A bunting necklace project and other stuff

I completely forgot to link to this project on the Beadwork at BellaOnline page.
Button Bunting Necklace Project
This is what it looks like. Modeled by the Turnip Girl in one of her favorite teeshirts.

I also reviewed Tapestry Bead Crochet over there. It's a wonderful book if you like crocheting or beadwork.

Other than that, I'm on Google+, have been for a while now but keep forgetting to post it here. Just look for Shala Kerrigan if you want to add me to your circles. I haven't been using it much yet. 

We plan to go to the State Fair this week, during the week because it's too crowded on weekends and my darling, wonderful husband gets very cranky with long drives and huge crowds. Hopefully we will be able to get some good photos!

I'm thinking of having a couple book giveaways. Is anyone interested?

My husband is my hero this week. He bought me lilies to start the week, and installed a new faucet for me. The faucet is just wonderful, it's a lever operated Moen gooseneck faucet. (In the Amazon.com affiliate link). I got it as a part of the Amazon Vine program. He installed it with a left-handed mount and it took him about an hour to install (including pulling out the old faucet). I'll be writing a review for it later at Amazon.

I *love* it. I'm absolutely enthralled with my new faucet and keep telling people "I have a new faucet."  My big stock pot that I use for canning fits under it! It's a thing of joy. My review will be more than "YAY! I love my new faucet." which is why I haven't written it yet. Still just too thrilled with it to be truly coherent. 

Just this second occurred to me that I'm not sure he didn't throw away the old one. I'll have to check since William will probably want it for sculpture. I guess that's proof that I'm an adult now. Being so thrilled about a new faucet which will make cooking a lot easier.

Japanese Seed Beads FTW!

Believe it or not, that's a color photo. Auntie's Beads sent me a wonderful selection of black and white themed seed beads.

I love Japanese seed beads. They are so uniform and have really large holes to work with, and for designs like this bracelet

-

EDIT: Just finished instructions, which you can find here.

the rounder shape of seed beads works a lot better than cylinder beads. 

I use the larger sizes in seed bead designs like the bracelet above, which is made with size 8 gunmetal, size 8 silver gray ceylon and size 11 matte black and crystal. I also use the larger sizes a lot in thread crocheted amigurumi dolls. They work perfectly for eyes and small details. 

I think my favorite thing about them is the range of colors and the consistency of them. 

I'll be posting instructions for the bracelet on beadwork at BellaOnline after I get it all diagrammed. My husband thinks the technique would work very well for USA flag bracelets so I'll graph one. I think this bracelet design would also work very well using seed bead mixes, and Auntie's Beads has some lovely color themed mixes available on their seed beads page.

The button clasp came from my personal button collection.

Crocheted Button Bangle

This pattern, like my dice bag pattern, is very modifiable. It can be adjusted according to the thread, hook sizes and buttons you have. My instructions are for size 10 thread with a size 6 (US) steel hook (1.8 mm), and vintage 3/8th inch buttons from my collection. US terminology.

The button crochets are done by sliding the button up the thread to the bracelet and inserting the hook into the stitch behind the button yarn over, pull through the stitch, 2 loops on hook, yarn over, and pull through the loops. So basically it's a just a single crochet after you push the button up.

This pattern is confusing in the second part. Just try it. It works up fairly fast since it's only 64 stitches and 3 rows, if the last row doesn't work right for you the first time, pull it out and try again. 

Button Bangle Pattern:

Size 6 (US) steel hook

Size 10 Bedspread weight cotton

8 3/8th inch buttons with 4 holes

Tapestry needle that you can thread with the size 10 cotton and that will go through the button holes

Scissors

Thread the 8 buttons on the cotton making sure they are all facing the same way.

Chain 64, join chain with a slip stitch, be careful not to twist.

Row 1: Chain 1,single crochet in each stitch around, slip stitch to join

Row 2: Repeat row 1

Row 3: ch 1, single crochet in first 3 stitches, slide button up to the bracelet, single crochet in stitch behind button, *single crochet in next 7 stitches, add button single crochet*, repeat **  6 times (until all buttons are added), single crochet in next 4 stitches, slip stitch to join, break off thread.

Now for the kind of tricky part. Thread the 8 buttons on the thread the hole diagonal from the first one and slide down the thread. You'll need to be able to slide it down the thread a few times to finish this, just pull up a thread after the 4th button to make a loop from the ball of thread, then pull it through the other 4 buttons to give yourself more working thread.

Chain 64, join chain with a slip stitch, be careful not to twist.

Row 1: Chain 1,single crochet in each stitch around, slip stitch to join

Row 2: Repeat row 1

Loosen up the thread in buttons so the bracelet is open, and put the part you just worked inside the first part of the bracelet, add more thread to your working thread as needed by pulling it off the ball and pulling up loops between the buttons a little at a time until you have enough thread to work with.

Row 3: ch 1, sc in first 3 stitches, pull the thread between the first and second buttons until your working end is right up against the button, button single crochet, single crochet in next 7 stitches, now you need to take a good look at your bracelet to see which direction to go in, spreading out the this part inside the first part worked best for me. Pull thread between the second and third button until the row you are working is flush with the button, button single crochet. Continue that around, with 7 single crochets between each button single crochet, ending with 4 single crochets and a slip stitch to join.

Weave in ends.

Modifying this pattern is easy. Just make sure you have a number of stitches divisible by the number of buttons you want to use and that the buttons won't be too crowded, you can also adjust size this way. So if the best fit for your wrist is 70 stitches, you could use 7 or 10 buttons easily. Because it's a soft bangle, you can make it a bit smaller than your favorite metal bangle. The flexibility makes it easier to put on.  With smaller thread you may want more plain rows. 

Check out my Ravelry pattern page here.

Handmade copper buttons

First, the legal stuff. Most interpretations of  the statutes applicable to defacing coins in the U.S.A. are applied to mean if you deface currency for fraudulent purposes. Such as turning a 1.00 dollar bill into a 10.00.  Which is why there are so many penny pressing machines in your local tourist attractions. In other countries, the law varies. These buttons are not being made for fraud. They are nice, primitive buttons that can be used to a nice effect in sewn, knit and crochet projects. For more information, check out this site here.

At the time of this writing, copper pennies, that is, 1981 and earlier, are worth 3¢ each. Copper keeps rising in price. So I'm in the habit of checking all my pennies as they come in and separating out the copper ones. This is also a good idea if you're pressing pennies in penny machines. That way you'll have a piece that's nearly all copper!

To make these is so simple. Using a bench block or similar surface, a hammer, and a metal punch they work up very fast. If you want very shiny pennies, you can shine pennies with a bit of ketchup. Really truly! Or vinegar and some salt, or even toothpaste.

I like the rough way these look. I have my husband hammer them flat very quickly and he hits at odd angles and mars up the surface a bit. With more deliberation they come out rounder without the scars from the hammer, like the buttons on the apple cozies above. I polished the pennies before hammering them and I was fairly careful how I hammered them. So they turned out very smooth and a bit shinier.

So, you put the penny on the block, and hammer it flat. Then comes the fun part. Punching the holes.

Using this two-hole metal punch  from Rings and Things, put the flattened penny in throat for the smaller hole. The throat on the smaller side of the punch is deeper than the throat for the bigger hole. Then you screw down the punch and it punches out a little hole. This works very easily, you don't need much strength at all to twist down the punch. Pull the penny out and reposition it to punch the second hole. For mine, it worked perfectly to put the edge of the penny all the way to the back of the throat then punch a hole, then for the other side, just turn it around and put the opposite edge against the back of the throat of the punch.

Rings and Things also carries the bench blocks, more professional hammers than the one I used, and dapping blocks that could be used to make a more domed button. The also carry lots of copper shapes and sheet copper if you don't want use a penny.

The two-hole metal punches can also be used on pressed pennies to make pendants or keyrings of them.

Paper punch pins

When I first envisioned this, I was working on an easy way for my daughter to make pins based for her fandoms that didn't involve me pulling out my button machine and trying to figure out where the cutter to go with it is. After testing the idea with a safety pin, a scrap of card stock from an empty cereal box and a piece of a crossword.. I got inspired to make a few using some of my other punches.

Any circle tag design would work as well. Including the name tags I posted a couple days ago.

Just print out the design, use a 2 inch circle punch to cut them out, and glue to a second 2 inch circle cut from card stock. Great use for using cereal boxes! Then tape a safety pin to the back. If you need to write on the front or color them, do that, then cover with Mod Podge. The crossword puzzle pin was made using this method and a 1 inch circle punch with a tiny size 0 safety pin. 

For the punched pins, I got a little fancier. Using regular pin backs and gluing them in place with a strip of paper. 

Cut two circles of decorative card stock, then punch your design on the color you choose for the top circle. For the apple design, I coated the bottom layer with glue then put on some red glitter. The leaf is cut from a separate piece of green card stock and covered with green glitter and glued into place. The top pink piece has the dots and the apple punched out to show the glitter coated card stock under it. Glue everything into place, put on the pin back, then cover with a couple coats of Mod Podge. The other 2 pins have punched appliqués. The blue and pink one has a second circle cut out of the pink with a 1 inch circle punch, then that has a heart and more dots punched. Put the whole thing together, cover with Mod Podge. The witch pin has the black top layer with a 1 inch circle punch to make the full moon, then I punched the witch from the black and put her in flying across the moon. I put a light sprinkle of silver glitter on the first coat of Mod Podge, then sealed over that when it was dry.

 

Super easy!!! Almost anything you'd do as a circle gift tag can also be done as a pin, or you could even make the pin the gift tag and write a note on the back and sign it then attach it to a gift.

Button bobby pins and rings

The only decorative buttons I could find quickly in my huge box of beads and buttons were a package of small Halloween themed buttons so that's what I used.

You only need a few things to make very cute inexpensive button bobby pins and I'm sure you know how to make them. I'm posting the project mostly because of how I trimmed the shanks off the buttons.

If you look at all my supplies, you see inexpensive craft type buttons, decorative buttons, bobby pins and adjustable rings with glue on pads which I got very inexpensively from Rings and Things, the rings are 72 for 9.00, the bobby pins are 72 for 11.28. I used Household Goop which is a similar adhesive to E-6000. I use them interchangeably for most projects. The other thing you'll see is a pair of toe nail clippers.

I have a craft dedicated pair of toe nail clippers because they work really well for trimming small pieces of plastic like shanks on buttons and have a built in file for smoothing and texturing  surfaces. It's a trick I hit on while my son and I were discussing the best way to trim sprues from his plastic models and miniatures.

 

That's one untrimmed button and one that's trimmed so you can see them a little better. 

So after you get the decorative buttons trimmed, you just glue them to a plain button then glue that to the pad on the bobby pin or adjustable ring. Superglue will also work very well to connect plastics but my Superglue was super gunky. For younger kids, you'll want to do all the gluing because both glues have fumes.

My daughter and I are planning to do a table at least one of the local fairs this year so I've been looking for inexpensive things we can make to sell. We will package the bobby pins in sets of two on business cards.

If you're making bobby pins and they have a direction like my bats, make sure you make them opposites or you'll have two pretty button bobbies for the same side!

I also gave some of the ring blanks to my son, who will probably wind up making little toy gun rings using some of the weapons from his old toys and things like that. I told the kids if they like the adjustable rings well enough and they sell well, I'll also make them some sterling adjustable rings to decorate. 

Book Review- Button and Stitch

Button and Stitch: Supercute Ways to Use Your Button Stash by Kristen Rask is a collection of button themed projects.
It's really a wonderful collection, the projects are all pretty easy, but require different skill sets. There are 24 projects total covering a wide range of techniques.
The basic materials explains what you'll need for most of the projects, and buttons by type describes types of vintage buttons but having a great vintage button supply isn't necessary for the projects in the book.
The first project is an easy pearly button frame that uses a strong glue and buttons on a purchased blank frame.
The final project in the book is a lovely soldered ring that would be a great use of buttons from your grandmother's stash or very special buttons.
The projects in between are sewn, felted and wired. My favorites are the recycled sweater handwarmers which use a used sweater to create pretty fitted mitts with cute button accents and are very adaptable. I'm hitting the thrift store today for sweaters to use for this project. The pincushion-topped button jar is so cute I can't resist it, and the kanzashi-style hair clip.
Lovely book. The projects are varied enough that I found a few things I loved in it, and so did my 14 yo daughter.
You can order it from My Craftivity or from Amazon.The Amazon link is an affiliate link and helps pay some of the costs of maintaining this site.