Make: Covered Button Rings

You know...it's so rewarding when I see emails and photos from all of you showing the amazing creations you've made either from your own craft noggin' or from one of the "Make" projects by a Designing Mom. So much so, that I am excited to announce that we will be having regular "Make" contributors to the blog.

The first of our contributors is Dana of Plum Tree Studio. I came across Dana's wonderful work when I was on the hunt for one of a kind tees and onesies (my favorite is the sailor themed one). When she sent pics of her covered button ring project I was itching to see more and can't wait to see what she's got in store for us. Read on about her ring proect and please help me welcome Dana!


by DM Contributor Dana

Inspiration:
I create button ties for little girls and my niece has a large collection of these button ties. Recently she started to wear some of them on her fingers. Her mother, my sister, noticed that the button ties were cutting off her circulation due to the elastic bands being wrapped around her finger so many times. ;). My sister explained that my niece loves to wear these buttons and wondered if there was any way i could make them into rings. So i researched, found a way and started to make her some "button rings." When i went home to Indiana, i brought my supplies because i knew my niece would love to learn how to make them or at least love to have more rings to wear. I was right...she wanted to wear all of them at once..one for each finger.

Materials:

--Button kit: a covered button kit can be purchased at any Hancock fabrics, Hobby Lobby or Joann's. The maker of the kit is usually Maxant. The kit gives you a couple half-ball buttons, backings for the buttons, a mold and a pusher. it also offers instructions on how to use the mold and pusher in order to cover the button with the fabric of your choice.
--Fabrics (I purchased off of Etsy)
--Scissors
--Pliers
--Bond Glue


Steps:

1. Choose the size of your button and the fabric you would like to cover the button with.

2. Use the button pattern that is provided by the button cover kit to cut out the fabric circle needed.

3. Once you have your fabric cut out, place it wrong side up, inside the mold. Then place the button top right side down in the mold on top of the fabric. Fold the fabric pieces inside the button top. Take the button back by the loop and place it in the mold, so that the button loop is facing you and covering all of the excess fabric. Now use your blue pusher to press the button back into the button top. After this is done, pop the button out of the mold.

4. You should now have a covered button. Next take your pliers and remove the loop on the back of the button. It will take a couple twists and a good pull, but the loop should come off.

5. take your glue and put a dab on the back of the button in the center where the loop used to be. place the flat part of your ring back into the glue and set the button ring facing down on a plate. let the button ring dry for at least one or two hours before wearing.

Tips:

-- Make sure the character or object was centered on the button "cover" before putting the button "back" on.

-- Since my niece is only 4 1/2, I did help cut the fabric in the process of putting the button "back" on.

-- The glue is pretty strong smelling and it suggests being used in a ventilated area. I went outside on the deck with the glue, a paper plate full of ring backs and new buttons and glued the ring backs to the buttons. I let them sit for a little over an hour (testing them after awhile) and then trimmed any excess glue from the back.

-- I would recommend is after the rings are complete, spray them with scotch guard. This will help keep the rings from getting dirty or spotted.