Friday, August 14, 2009

Handmade & Homebaked by Peptogirl

I found another really fun and funky site that is sharing tutorials and all manner of crafty ideas. In the spirit of sharing, she posts several how-to freebies that might be of interest. I especially enjoyed this button ring tutorial:(as follows from Peptogirl's site)

Handmade for the Holidays: Easy Button Ring Tutorial

"If you are planning to make all of your holiday gifts this year, then now's the time to start! This way, while everyone else is rushing around trying to get all of their holiday shopping or making done, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your peppermint hot cocoa. Now doesn't that sound good?

Handmade for the holidays


To help get you started, I'm going to "try" to do one tutorial a week from now 'til...well 'til you get a enough gifts made for all your friends and family, of course! I'm not going to commit to a particular day of the week because, who am I kidding, I am not so good with deadlines.

My very first tutorial is super-easy and super-cute! I used vintage buttons for mine, but your buttons need not be vintage. You might want to try different colors as well, depending on your tastes.

Easy Button Ring Tutorial

Supplies


You need:
* buttons of different shapes, colors, and sizes
* shank cutter (if you want to use buttons with shanks (the little loop on the back)
* E6000 or another strong glue or epoxy
* Ring bases (not pictured)

You can purchase the adjustable ring bases online. Try doing a search on eBay or Etsy. I purchased mine from Jan's Jewelry Supplies.

Pretty Buttons


I got most of these buttons on eBay. You can buy them in lots, just search for something like "vintage plastic buttons." Just don't bid against me!

I also purchased some of these from Miss Vicky's store (Miss Vicky is a local crafter and IndieSacramento vendor:
Funny Pharm
30 North Main Street
Downtown Colfax

Stack Buttons


Play around with the buttons to see what combinations you like. Think carefully about color combination and textures. You may also want to combine different button shapes or use a special button as the centerpiece.

Cutting Shank


If you are using buttons with shanks, you'll want to cut these off so the buttons will lie flat. this may not work with glass buttons but it will definitely work with plastic! You can get the shank cutter at your local fabric store."

For the rest of the tutorial, and more fun finds, visit the site...

Happy sharing!

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1 comment:

amy is the party said...

Thanks for the shout out! Glad you liked the tut!