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Author Archive | Connie Mercer

Celebrate a Star with this Handmade Birthday Card!

handmade birthday card

Hi, it’s Connie here today with the Buttons Galore & More design team sharing a handmade birthday card design using the themed buttons “Stars” by Buttons Galore & More. These star buttons come in four different colors – green, yellow, blue and red – plus two sizes. They are perfect primary colors, great for creating crafty projects with kids or for special occasions! Continue Reading →

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Send Holiday Love with a Christmas Shaker Card!

Hi, it’s Connie here with the Buttons Galore & More design team! Today I’m sharing a handmade Christmas shaker card, using the Deck The Halls Shaker Mix by 28 Lilac Lane. The 28 Lilac Lane Shaker mixes are full of beautiful colors of sequins, beads and buttons, mixed perfectly together to get you into the Christmas spirit or at least in the mood to start your Chrismas shaker cards! Continue Reading →

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Make a Christmas Tree with Presents for Holiday Home Decor!

Hi, it’s Connie here with Buttons Galore & More design team! I have a fun and festive project to share today using “Christmas Tree with Presents“, one of the new Foundations Decor pieces that are now available from Buttons Galore. The 28 Lilac Lane O’Christmas Tree embellishment bottle added some green sparkle alongside some really cute Buttons Galore 3D Christmas buttons. Continue Reading →

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Holly Jolly Snow Globe Christmas Card

Hi, Connie here with Buttons Galore & More design team sharing a Snow Globe Christmas card using the Holly Jolly embellishment kit by 28 Lilac Lane. It is never too early to start thinking of creating special, one-of-a-kind Christmas cards for those special people you love. Our 28 Lilac Lane collection has put together embellishments kits that take the guess work out of creating special cards. Holly Jolly is the Christmas embellishment kit that is full of festive embellishments that will make beautiful cards – the cards people will want to keep and display! Continue Reading →

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Make a Thread Spool Photo Holder with Buttons!

Hi, Connie here with Buttons Galore & More design team sharing a simple and cute (as a button) thread spool photo holder. I will be using the Buttons Galore “Winter Mist” Haberdashery button mix. The buttons are a beautiful mix of vintage greens, purple, burgundy and light tan.

thread spool photo holders

I created several of these thread spool photo holders using the supplies I had on hand. They can be enhanced many different ways to make them each unique. I wanted the original spool label to remain. I used felt to wrap around the center of the spool adding color to the project. (The spools could also be painted or pattern paper could be used.) The Winter Mist Haberdashery button pack comes with different size buttons and beautifully coordinated. You get a nice mix of color!

thread spool photo holders

Supply list to make thread spool photo holders:

How to make thread spool photo holders:

  1.  Insert large paper clip into spool hole – if it is loose glue it in.
  2.  Measure and cut felt for center of spool. Wrap around the spool and glue.
  3.  Glue buttons and embellishments to front of spool.
  4.  Let dry.

thread spool photo holders

These thread spool photo holders can be used as teacher gifts, personalized place cards, displays for vintage photos, to show off a proud kid moment, and in many more ways. What about holding a favorite recipe? There’s so many ways for using these photo stands.

thread spool photo holders

thread spool photo holders

These thread spool photo holders are fun to make and the kids can join in too. Adding different elements can truly make them a “one of a kind” thinking of you gift. Buttons Galore & More have gorgeous buttons that would be perfect for this project! Thanks for stopping by today!

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Make Easy Victorian Framed Art with Themed Buttons!

Hi, Connie here with the design team sharing a Victorian framed art piece using Victorian accents by Buttons Galore & More. The themed button selections were the perfect accent for this framed art piece. The beautiful thing about these Victorian accent buttons is that you can change the color so easily. Spray paint works great!

Victorian Framed Art

The frame was painted with acrylic paint and sanded to create a distressed finish for a vintage look and feel. The inside piece is vintage dictionary paper. I stenciled the paper with the word “create” in black acrylic paint. The silk flowers were wrapped with twine and then adhered to the side of the frame with strong glue.

Victorian Framed ArtThe Heirloom Keepsakes buttons were glued to the side of the flower cluster. They come in several different colors. I used the light green ones for this project.

Victorian Framed Art

The Victorian Rose buttons and the Gold Filigree corners were spray painted a pewter color and adhered to each inside corner of the frame.  The Filigree corner was attached first and then the Victorian Rose button next.  The shanks were clipped off, using wire snips, to give a flat surface to adhere them.

To finish my Victorian framed art, the frame was splattered delicately with black and pewter paint. That process was achieved by spraying a puddle of paint, on a paper plate, and then using a toothbrush to splat the paint on the frame. It’s an old technique but still one of my favorites!

Supplies needed:

Thanks for stopping by~

Connie Mercer/DT Member

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Accessorize with an easy DIY Button Brooch!

Hi, Connie here with Buttons Galore & More design team! Today I will be sharing an idea using the Toasted Graham Embellishment Bottle by 28 Lilac Lane. The contents of the bottle remind me of graham crackers, buttons in rich brown tones along with seed bead and sequins. Taking beautiful embellishments and adding them to clothing to accessorize is a favorite project of mine. Making a DIY button brooch, to add to a denim shirt or straw hat, is where I started!

Take a small piece of burlap and twist it, to make an easy to create rose flower to serve as the base of the brooch. Coat the ends with a strong glue to keep them from fraying, and mount the burlap flower on a circle of felt, so the flower will not unravel.

Now comes the fun part! Pour the contents of the Toasted Graham embellishment bottle on a dish (so you can see all of the pretties that are in it), and start selecting the buttons for the center of the DIY button brooch.

Using a strong glue, start gluing down buttons, sequins, pearls and beads onto the brooch. Overlapping the buttons and tucking in the sequins under the buttons will make a beautiful looking brooch. Add felt leaves and twine to finish off the brooch. Glue a pin onto the back of the brooch, making it easy to attach to a shirt or hat.

I love how the “create” brooch looks on this straw hat. It’s such a fabulous look for the fall season! Just attach it to the hat, using the pin that was glued to the back of the brooch.

Here is the”inspire” brooch on the denim shirt.  I love this look!

I hope you will give the 28 Lilac Lane embellishment bottles a try and create something to add to those hats, sweaters and shirts like I did!

Supplies Used:

28 Lilac Lane “Toasted Graham” Embellishment Bottle

Felt (leaves and back of brooch)

burlap

strong glue

word sticker

twine

Thanks for stopping by~

Connie Mercer/DT Member

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Christmas in July | Button DIY Candy Cane Ornaments

Hi, it’s Connie here with the Buttons Galore & More design team. We are celebrating Christmas in July, with handcrafted ornament ideas to create with the family.  Looking for a DIY Christmas ornament that is easy for little hands to make? These DIY candy cane ornaments with big red, green and white buttons are easy for little hands to pick up and glue down.

DIY candy cane ornaments

These DIY Christmas ornaments are fast and are very kid friendly to create!

Instructions:

  1. Create a pattern by drawing a candy cane on chipboard and cutting it out.
  2. Punch a small hole, in the top of the candy cane, and place twine through for the hanger.
  3. Wrap the candy cane with jute string, adhering to the top of the candy cane and the bottom. Adhere big buttons to the wrapped candy cane with a strong wet glue. Let dry. Add embellishments, if desired, to complete the ornaments.

DIY candy cane ornamentsThe candy canes are wrapped with jute loosely. Once the big buttons are adhered the jute is nice and secure.

DIY candy cane ornamentsYou may be familiar with our color mixes of flat buttons, but did you know that Buttons Galore & More also makes the cutest 3D buttons? Today, I’m using some called the Holiday Fun collection, that include snowmen, Christmas trees, stars, deer, and a cat and dog, just to name a few. They are so fun, just like their name! I snipped the shanks off and added these cute “Holiday Fun” buttons to the candy cane ornaments. Paper holly leaves are tucked in behind the “Holiday Fun” buttons.

These ornaments are great for gift exchanges and teacher gifts. Decorating a gift bag is another way to use these candy cane ornaments!

DIY candy cane ornamentsI’m looking forward to adding these handcrafted candy cane ornaments to my little Christmas tree this year, mixed with some real candy canes. That is sure to make everyone happy!

Supply list:

Thanks for stopping by~

Connie Mercer/DT Member

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Celebrate with a Handcrafted Sequin Flag

Hi, Connie here with Buttons Galore & More design team! This fun handcrafted sequin flag project is great to create with children, and will look fabulous in your home or on your front door, tucked into a grapevine wreath.

sequin flag project

This sequin flag project was created using the brand new Bon Voyage Sequin tin by 28 Lilac Lane. Take a closer look at this beautiful new premium sequin tin!

28 Lilac Lane LL318 Bon Voyage sequin tin

The inspiration for this sequin flag project came from the Bon Voyage sequin tin itself.  It is full of red, white and blue sequins along with white hearts and blue stars – so lush!  Can’t you see a child waving this flag at a celebration parade and then saving it, by tucking it away in a grapevine wreath for the front door?  Or displaying it in a vintage soda bottle? Either way this flag will be a super cute was to display your patriotism!

Supplies needed to make a sequin flag:

sequin flag instructions

How to make your sequin flag:

(1) Sketch out a USA flag on white cardstock that is about 4″ X 6″. Separate the large blue sequins, using a toothpick, from the sequin tin.

(2) Glue the large blue sequins on the flag with clear drying glue. Add the white hearts to the blue section and let dry. Do the same with the small red sequins, placing them in strips. Let dry.

(3) Cut the blue section out, and then the red strips. Piece them on a 4″ X 6″ piece of white cardstock or grid paper. When it is dry, mat the flag on black cardstock.

sequin flag project

(4) Glue the flag to a piece of burlap ( 5″ X 7″ ) and then glue a stick to the reverse side. (I used a stick from my yard.)

sequin flag project

(5) Use twine and buttons, create streamers for the side of the flag. Tie these to the top of the stick.

I chose the vintage soda bottle to display my flag instead of a grapevine wreath. The soda bottle is full of red buttons to hold the stick in place. I really love the finished look!

Thanks for stopping by~

Connie Mercer/DT Member

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ARRR! Scrapbook a Pirate’s Life with 28 Lilac Lane

Hi, Connie here hosting the Buttons Galore and More blog today!  I have a really cute scrapbook page to share using the Pirate’s Life Embellishment Kit by 28 Lilac Lane. This was such a fun kit to create with and couldn’t have been more perfect to create a scrapbook page with for the photos that I had.

A Pirate's Life scrapbook layout

The Pirate’s Life embellishment kit by 28 Lilac Lane includes buttons, sequins, velvet trim, a charm, small seed beads and pirate skull embellishments. I used the Pirate’s Life kit to create my page accents and it was really fun. I looked up pictures of pirate images. Then I hand drew them out on cardstock, cut them out, and embellished them with the contents in the Pirate’s Life kit.

Pirate's Life scrapbook pageThe first embellishment I created was the pirate ship. Drawing a pirate ship can be kind of scary when you’re not sure what one looks like to begin with.  When you have a picture in front of you, it’s not so hard at all! Once the pirate ship was created from pattern paper and buttons, it was ready to put in place on the scrapbook page. It’s amazing what can be created with paper and buttons!

A Pirate's Life scrapbook layoutThe next embellishment to be created was the pirate’s hat. I traced the outline of the hat on cardstock and then embellished it with sequins and the pirate skull from the 28 Lilac Lane “Pirate’s Life” kit.  The embellishment cluster was enhanced with grey pearls from the kit as well. The black velvet trim was added below the film strip of black and white photos and I tucked in a few large buttons in the bottom pirate cluster also. Next, the journal text was created and added to the side of the Pirate cluster.

I hope you are encouraged to create unique, one-of-a-kind embellishments for your craft projects using the embellishment kits by 28 Lilac Lane!

Supplies used:

Thanks for stopping by~

Connie Mercer/DT Member

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Give Your Buttons Beautifully with Faux Vintage Button Cards

Hi! It’s Connie here with my first post for the Buttons Galore & More design team! Today I am sharing a fun project using Button Galores’ “Patriot” Button Tote to make faux vintage button cards and a tote to store them.

Inspired by the navy, natural, deep red and white buttons in the tote, I created a button bag along with hand stamped faux vintage button cards. The buttons are beautiful and look gorgeous on the button cards! This isn’t a difficult project, just a project that requires time. The end result is a beautiful button bag, full of custom assembled faux vintage button cards, that can be used as a decorative way to store buttons, add them to projects, or for giving the buttons as gifts to fellow crafters.

faux vintage button cards with tote

Supplies needed:

The button cards were created using a button card stamp and beautiful buttons from Buttons Galore. Each card has a sample of the buttons that are included in the Patriot Button Tote. No card is alike, as each is created with different buttons. Each button is hand sewn on the card, for easy access and future use. They are created just like the faux vintage button cards (well almost)! Button cards come in all sizes – these are about 2.5″ X 3″. There is plenty of room to mix large buttons with small or medium buttons on the button cards. These are a great gift idea for a crafter or sewist who is crazy about buttons!

faux vintage button cards

The burlap bag is stitched with some scraps of material and more buttons, after all, it is a button bag. The embellishment layers are hand stitched, to the burlap, on the front of the button bag. The button cards fit nicely in the bag. and will work as a great storage idea or a gift that will be loved.

tote for faux vintage button cards

The finished project, with the faux vintage button cards inside the button bag, is all ready to tuck in a gift bag for a special gift!

Faux Vintage Button Cards in a tote - great for gift giving, storage, or using right on mixed media and paper craft projects!

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