Paper Button Tutorial

This tutorial blog hop is brought to you by STITCHED - online video workshops with over 20 projects using fabric and stitch in innovative ways. This is one of the stops on our spring Tutorial Blog Hop...be sure to visit the rest of the links below for all the free goodies!

I'll be giving away my paper button bracelet cuff (pictured below) on March 30, 2012. Cindy of Guilt and Orangery--you're the winner! 

Paper buttons are a riff on paper beads, which I have been making for many years. You can find full instructions for paper beads in Stitch Alchemy. You can use your paper buttons on jewelry like bracelets (glued on with e-6000), fabric necklaces (stitched and beaded on ribbon), and mini quilts like my small house quilt (stitched and beaded onto the quilt top).

 

The basic instructions are detailed below and I've included a brief video demonstration so you can better see the actual process of embossing the buttons.

First, gather some supplies:

 

-old book text

-glue stick

-scissors

-markers

-awl

-wooden skewer

-boss gloss (embossing fluid or stamp pad)

-clear UTEE

-heat gun

-opt. gold/silver and other colors UTEE

Begin by glueing three sheets of book text together. Then trim off the edges outside the text--you don't need this part.

Decide what size circles you want for your buttons and cut them out of the text sheet. I freehand cut my circles, but you can use a circle cutter if you'd like! Cut a bunch all at once.

Get out your markers and color the circles fanciful and spritely colors. I'm using art markers, but you can get creative here. Watercolor, crayons and the like should work.

Here's the tricky part and you can view the video if you'd like to see it first hand. Poke a hole in the center of your paper button, using an awl or sharp pointy thing. Get the button wet with embossing fluid. Here I'm using Boss Gloss in a dabber bottle and also an embossing pad underneath. Get one side juicy wet and then the other. Poke the button onto the pointed end of a skewer and roll it in some clear ultra thick embossing enamel (UTEE).  Roll it around so it coats both sides.

Now, hold the coated button in front of a heat gun or embossing gun until the UTEE melts...then quickly redip it in enamel and heat it again. The second layer of embossing enamel melts into the second layer to form a nice, thick coating of gloss. There is a foil pan underneath my heat gun, to catch all the extra UTEE that goes flying and to capture any drips. Don't overheat the button or the UTEE will begin to bubble up and drip off. Just heat it enough to melt the beads of enamel. If you'd like, you can roll the edges in gold or silver UTEE and reheat briefly. Typically I work with at least two at a time. I set one aside to cool while I am melting the next. Let your button cool for few minutes, then pop it off the end of the skewer. Voila!

 When you're done making your beads, clean them off with a soft cloth and snip off any rough edges in the center.

Enjoy playing with your paper buttons. Don't flex them too much or they might crack if they are larger. But they are water resistant and can be wiped with a damp cloth. Sew them onto art quilts and jewelry projects and have fun!

Here are the rest of the STITCHED blog hop tutorials. They are each available after the date posted. Happy Spring! Kelli

March 1st: Deborah  http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/2012/03/hand-writing-on-fabric.html

March 5th: Paula   http://www.paulajoerling.com/2012/03/easter-download-and-tutorial.html

March 6th: Jackie  

Part 1:http://stitchworks-jackie.blogspot.com/2012/03/blog-hop-tut.html

Part 2:http://stitchworks-jackie.blogspot.com/2012/03/stitched-blog-hop-tut-part-2.html

March 8th: Mollie  http://www.wildolive.blogspot.com/2012/03/project-blog-hop-honeybee-candle-mat.html

March 13th: Cindy Caraway  http://artfullivingonthebluff.blogspot.com/2012/03/march-blog-tutorial-hop-my-turn.html

March 15th: Jennifer  http://sewhooked.com/2012/03/14/stitched-tutorial-blog-hop-make-an-oven-mitt/

March 20th: Kelli     http://ephemeralalchemy.blogspot.com/2012/03/paper-button-tutorial.html

March 22nd: Tracie  http://www.radicalrecycks.com/

March 27th: Alma        http://www.almastoller.blogspot.com

March 29th: Ann Tucker    http://thelavendartree.blogspot.com/

If you'd like to win the paper button bracelet at the top, please leave a comment and I will draw a random winner on March 30, 2012 and mail you the cuff!

The Scale of the Tiny Universe : Sketching Close Up

It was a small adventure. Really small. It was inspired by the Scale of the UNIVERSE. 

 Planets and star clusters, meet microbes and quantum foam; your balancing counterparts. 

Carving bacteria, inspired by a sketchbook page.

Painting petri dishes and filling them with stamped bacteria.

Snipping and stitching them into postcards. Read all about it here on the Sketchbook Challenge.


I'm going to gift some doses of bacterial love by sending these microbial postcards via snail mail. If you'd like to receive one, please leave your name in the comments below and I'll use a random generator to pick recipients.