Author Archive | Jen Goode

Red White and Blue Button Flower Vase

By Jen Goode on July 2, 2013 in Home Decor, Mixed Media, Patriotic

I love decorating empty cans and turning them into something fun and useful again. All those canned beans and soup can really be a DIY project waiting to happen. Add some fabric, ribbon and brightly colored buttons and you have yourself a whole slew of possibilities. For today’s project I decorated a can with patriotic colors and turned it into a pretty little flower vase, perfect for adding to the table for July 4th.

Red White and Blue flower vase

Materials:

Empty aluminum can, washed and dried
Blue fabric
Red ribbon
White card stock
White and Blue embroidery thread
Red, white and blue buttons
Red eyelet and eyelet tool
Glue

Patriotic flower vase DIY

Instructions to make your own patriotic flower vase decor

Cut fabric and wrap around the outside of the can. Glue in place.
Wrap ribbon around the can, tie in a knot, trim edges. Tie a red and blue ribbon together using white embroidery thread. Tie to center of ribbon covering the knot.
Make a mini gift tag using the white card stock. Apply ribbon, wrap with blue embroidery thread and attach a white button. Add an eyelet with eyelet tool and then attach the tag to the button/ribbon on the can.

Recycled can to patriotic vase

Simple patriotic flower vase

You can make a bunch of these patriotic flower vases to decorate for your July 4th festivities. I use these same kind of decorated cans as utensil holders and pencil/marker holders for parties. You can add a little sparkle by using glitter or rhinstones to the tag and ribbon wrap. You can even add buttons all around the can. Get creative and make your own fun patriotic decorations!

Make an iPhone Purse with Duck Tape and Buttons

By Jen Goode on May 13, 2013 in Purses & Totes

Make a Duck Tape iphone purse with buttons galore and more buttons. I was struggling with ideas to make for my projects this month featuring buttons. While I was sitting around brainstorming, I started playing with the fancy roll of Duck Tape I had and next thing ya know, I had made a mini purse. Now, I don’t have photos to share showing how I made the purse exactly. That’s what happens when a girl get crafty at 11pm with no plan. However, I’ll tell you how I did it.

I used buttons to create the closing feature on this purse. I hand stitched these buttons in place so they would be more sturdy than a simple adhesive attachment. I think it would be fun to sew extra embellishments and designs on the purse too.

Duck Tape cell phone purse

Make your own iPhone purse

Materials I used:

Duck Tape
Vacation – Coordinating buttons
Embroidery thread and needle

– no kidding, that’s it!

How to make your own iPhone purse with Duck Tape and Buttons:

Create a sheet of double sided Duck Tape that is 3 tape strips wide and 11″ long. To make the sheet, tear off 3 pieces of tape that are about 11″ long, lay them next to each other, overlapping on the side by about 1/4″. Repeate this step and then stick the two large pieces on top of each other.
Fold the bottom up about 4″ and tape the sides. Now you should have a pocket with a flap.
Cut a small hole on each side of the pocket opening.
Using a long strip of duck tape, make a strap for your purse. Roll or fold the strip of tape until it is more like a cord with no sticky side showing. RUn the cord through each hole on the purse pocket. Place tape around the edges of the cord so that it stays in place.
Add your buttons
1. Sew buttons in place however you’d like.
2. Wrap thread around the bottom button and leave a piece hanging so you can use it to wrap around the flap button to keep your purse closed.

iPhone purse pocket

iPhone purse flap

iPhone purse button closeup

Fun colors to make your own iPhone purse

I always carry a super small purse, so you could use this as your wallet or add more pockets to carry more little treasures. I think it would be neat to add a few different Duck Tape patterns too. Get creative with the Duck Tape to make your own fun purse. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

Make Pretty Dragonfly Decor for your Wedding

By Jen Goode on April 10, 2013 in Home Decor, Occasions

You can add your own pretty handmade art to every guest table at your wedding reception with just a few steps. Use the Buttons Galore and More blank craft shapes to create mini masterpieces that coordinate with your wedding theme. You can use these pieces to embellish candle votive holders, make into wedding party gifts or even as jewelry for the bride and bridal party. I played with different colors and color combinations, use what works for your event theme. I used the idea of dragonfly decor.

Wedding Votives with Dragonfly Decor Art by Jen Goode

Materials you need Make Pretty Dragonfly Decor for your Wedding:

Oval blank craft shapes
Flower blank craft shapes
Smooch Spritz in a variety of colors
Tissue/Kleenex
Heat gun
Organza ribbon
Stencil shape
Repositional spray adhesive

Start Ups are mini canvases for your own art

Steps to make your own Make Pretty Dragonfly Decor for your Wedding:

Make sure to cover work space with paper to prevent spraying in unwanted surfaces.
Create a stencil using a decorate punch or use a pre-made stencil. I used a tiny dragonfly paper punch to create this image.
Spray adhesive on one side of the stencil and adhere to the craft shape.
Spray Smooch Spritz, one color at a time on to the craft shape. You can blot the ink with a tissue to lighten it, blend it or to remove it.
Use the heat gun to set color between applications.
To blend colors, spray two to 3 colors before blotting or applying heat.
Finish the piece of art, remove the stencil and then liberally spray Champagne Smooch Spritz and applying heat. This will give an overall sparkle to the entire piece, even on the stenciled area.
Thread organza ribbon through the craft shape holes and tie around a glass votive holder.

Spray layers of Smooch Spritz to add color

Finish with Champagne Smooch Spritz

Tips:

Don’t be afraid of adding more color. If you don’t heat set, you can wipe off some of the excess color and start over. Although you may not be able to wipe off all the color, you will be able to remove quite a bit of it.

If your stencil comes loose from the heat gun use, simply reapply with more adhesive spray.

Most importantly, have fun creating your own personalized dragonfly decor!

Dragonfly Art sparkles

Add color layers to other Start up shapes

Wedding votives with handmade Dragonfly art by Jen Goode

Felt Easter Egg Treat Pouches

By Jen Goode on March 26, 2013 in Holidays, Kids Crafts

Use felt scraps and buttons to create cute little felt Easter eggs with a hidden surprise. Each little egg is actually a pouch. Each has a pocket in the back so you can put a little treat. You can make your eggs whatever size you like, I made these just big enough to hide a single little chocolate kiss. Add buttons to accent each egg, complimenting colors and adding a little bit of cute fun to each piece. If you want to make them larger to hold a gift card you can.

Mini felt Easter Egg treat pouches

Directions and materials to make the felt Easter egg:

Fiesta buttons are perfect for this Easter project! It’s a nice mix of spring colors you can mix and match with purples, greens, blues and yellows too. You can find the full tutorial to this project on my site. Learn how to make your own Mini felt Easter egg pouches.

Hand Stitched Birds – Button Embellished

By Jen Goode on March 20, 2013 in Mixed Media

You can create these adorable hand stitched little birds using a wide array of materials. Use your mixed-media mojo to create birdies with your own unique look and then embellish with pretty buttons to add color, sparkle and dimension. I absolutely love the new wedding buttons, so I had to use these little glittery hearts for my bird ornaments. Today I’ll share with you how you can make them too.

Button Embellished hand stitched birdies

Materials to make the hand stitched birdies:

From the Buttons Galore and More Store:

Other materials used:

Neutral colored fabric
Coordinating brightly colored fabric
Scissors
Needle and thread (white and black)
Polyfil
DecoArt SoSoft® Fine Glitter fabric paint (Ice Crystal) and paint brush
Twine or ribbon

How to make button embellished hand stitched birds

Cut 2 identical bird shaped pieces of fabric
Stitch both pieces of fabric together, 1/4″ from the edge leaving a 1″ opening. Do not cut thread. Stuff with polyfil. Stitch closed and tie off.
Cut 1 wing shape from colored fabric. Adhere in place (stitch or glue).
Cut a small triangle for the beak and glue in place.
Paint accents using sparkly fabric paint. Allow to dry.
Stitch buttons in place as desired. For buttons that do not lay flat, snip off the button hole ring and glue button in place.
Using black thread, stitch a small eye.
If you’d like your bird to be able to hang to display, stitch a small twine or ribbon loop at the top.

Sparkly wedding buttons

Cut off button back before gluing

Pretty button embellished birds by Jen Goode

Pretty button embellished hand stitched birds by Jen Goode

These hand stitched birdies make a great decoration you can add to any centerpiece, accent other key piece or even include as a gift tag accessory. Mix and match the colors of fabric and buttons to create pretty handmade pieces you can include in any occasion.

Mini Easter Egg Art – make your own art

By Jen Goode on March 6, 2013 in Holidays, Mixed Media

Mini Easter Egg Art is fun to make. Combine paint and buttons to create a pretty vintage look when decorating this Easter. Create your own mini Easter egg art in just a few steps. You can make a whole pile of these cute little art canvases and use them to accent your Easter decor throughout the house, just change the design and alternate the colors and you’ve got a new art piece.

Easter Egg canvas art by Jen Goode

Easter Egg canvas art with buttons

Materials you need for Mini Easter Egg Art:

Small brown buttons
Mini canvas
Twine
DecoArt Americana Craft Paint – tan, white, pink, purple and yellow
DecoArt One Step Crackle
DecoArt Gel Stain
Liquid glue
Cardstock
Scissors
Paint brushes
Black fine tip marker

Steps to make mini Easter Art

Allow materials to dry between applications.

Paint each canvas tan.
Dry brush paint over tan with white.
Create an egg shape stencil using the cardstock.
paint the egg art on each canvas. Alternating tan and white, create an egg shape on each canvas with the stencil. Layer color until you get the look and texture you’d like. Lightly paint color on each egg. Create a pattern or apply in various areas for each piece. Coat with One Step Crackle. Using a cloth, rub on gell stain. Immediately wipe off.
Using black marker, doodle outlines and patterns on each egg design.
Tie twine through each button. Glue buttons in place as desired.

paint canvases

close up of Easter Egg art

Easter egg button art by Jen Goode

Tip: Use colorful Spring buttons in mini Easter baskets to accent your Easter decor instead of jelly beans. Just make sure not to leave the buttons where young children can reach them. Have a Happy Easter!

Basket with spring buttons

Pink Fabric Hearts with Buttons – Valentine decoration

By Jen Goode on January 28, 2013 in Valentine’s Day

I’ve recently started making little fabric ornaments using just plain canvas or linen fabric and embellishing with different materials. It’s an inexpensive material that you can paint, glue and sew with and using colorful buttons you can great a whole variety of different looks. So today I’m going to show you how I made these pretty little pink fabric hearts embellished with fabulous pink buttons. Don’t fret if you don’t sew, just use a fabric glue instead! You can do it.

Fabric heart ornaments with buttons

Materials you need to make Fabric Hearts:

Pink Bubblegum Buttons in assorted sizes
Plain canvas fabric
Needle, thread & scissors
Coordinating ribbon or twine
Polyfil

Materials for making button hearts

How to make fabric hearts with buttons:

Fold fabric and cut a heart shape so you end up with 2 matching heart cut outs.
Stitch heart 1/4″ from edge. Leave a 1.5″ opening.
Stuff with Polyfil.
Stitch buttons in place as desired.
Stitch a loop of ribbon or twine at top for hanging.

Stitch buttons into place

Add a hanging loop to the top of the heart

Optionally, if you choose to use fabric glue in lieu of sewing, glue the buttons on first and allow to dry. Then glue heart pieces together, leaving a space to stuff and then seal closed.

You can add extra embellishments, decorative stitching and other accents to create a look that’s all your own.

Pretty button heart ornament

You can make a whole pile of these fun fabric heart buttons. Make each one unique by choosing from a wide array of red and pink buttons in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

Gumdrop Button Christmas Tree Ornament

By Jen Goode on November 27, 2012 in Christmas

Make your own sparkly Christmas tree ornament with a cute candy twist using our gumdrop buttons. You can make a whole pile of these glittery ornaments and personalize them for each gift recipient. Make little Christmas trees that are multi-colored or use a single gumdrop color to make each ornament unique. I included a mini gift tag with this ornament to show you could easily personalize.

Gumdrop button ornament by Jen Goode

To make the gumdrop Christmas tree ornament …
Materials you need:

Gumdrop buttons
Gold flower button
3″ Wood circle
DecoArt Silver Twinkles paint
DecoArt Snow Writer
Scrap denim fabric
Small gold colored gem
Tiny gold dot embellishments or beads
Gold trim or decorative ribbon
Hemptique brown twine
Scissors
Paintbrush
Beacon 3-in-1 craft glue

Christmas tree ornament using gumdrop buttons

Christmas tree star with button

Make a Christmas tree ornament with gumdrop buttons

Paint the wood circle with Twinkles, covering completely. Allow to dry.
Cut a circle of denim 1/4-1/2″ smaller in diameter than the wood circle. Glue to the center of the wood circle.
Cut off the backs of the gumdrop buttons so they will lay as flat as possible. Glue to center of denim in the shape of a pyramid, leaving a 1/2″ space at the top for your star.
Using the Snow writer, create 3-4 small dots on each gumdrop. Place a small gold bead on each white dot. Allow to dry.
Create a hole at the top of the ornament about 1/4″ from the top, (I used a Crop-a-dile to easily cut this hole).
Using Beacon 3-in-1 glue, adhere gold trim to painted surface edge of the ornament, overlapping the edge of the denim.
Adhere a piece of hemp twine on top of the gold trim to add a nice finished look. Then, tie a piece of twine through the hole to create a hanging loop for your ornament.
Finish off by making a star to put at the top of the Christmas tree using a single gold button. Glue a gold colored gem in the center of the button and then glue a tiny gold bead on top of the gem. Glue in place on the ornament. Allow to dry

Mini gift tag

To make the mini gift tag…
Materials you need:

White cardstock
Heat gun
Clearsnap Smooch Spritz (Gold Glow and Gingersnap)
Clearsnap Smooch (Mocha)
Clearsnap Glitter (Cinnamon Spice)
Hole Punch
Gold eyelet
Small scalloped square die from My Favorite Things
Cutting machine – to use the die

How to make a mini gift tag for your ornament:

Cut out a small decorative square using the MFT die
Punch a hole 1/4″ from edge in one corner. Add an eyelet.
Spray lightly with Smooch Spritz, first one color then the other to add some color interest. Heat set with heat gun.
Draw lines and a heart using Smooch, while still wet sprinkle glitter. Set with heat gun.
Place twine from ornament through the eyelet to display the tag.

Fun Christmas ornament using gumdrop buttons

You can make so many variations of this same project just by changing the colors of the fabric and embellishments you use. Try using a red velvet with green sparkle ribbon or a blue satin fabric with hemp ribbon that you doodle on yourself. You can make a cute gumdrop Christmas tree ornament gift for each of your friends with these simple materials!

Make a Little Christmas Button and Felt Wall Hanging

By Jen Goode on November 7, 2012 in Christmas

Wall hangings for Christmas? Sure! Make these little wall hanging decor pieces using the new Christmas buttons from Buttons Galore and More. You can make them as gifts or wall art yourself. They’re also a great craft to do with the kids, no sewing required! If you like to sew, stitch everything together instead of using glue.

Pretty little Christmas button wall hanging decor by Jen Goode

Materials you need:

Santa and Friends Christmas character buttons by Vicki Schreiner
Red, green and white felt
Craft glue or hot glue and glue gun
Scissors
Coordinating ribbon

How to make Christmas button and felt wall hangings:

Cut 4 squares, approximately 1.5″ wide, out of green felt. The squares do not need to be exact.
Glue each square on to white felt. Trim white leaving about 1/8″ showing around edges.
Glue each green and white square onto red felt creating a single large square. Trim to one single square. leaving approx. 1/2″ red border around the entire square.
Glue 1 holiday button in the center of each green square.
Using red felt, make 2 hanging loops and glue to top back of piece.
Embellish with ribbon and extra holiday buttons as desired.
Finish with a dowel through the hanging loops and a ribbon to hang.

recycled jar crafts – A Fall Vase Using Buttons

By Jen Goode on October 29, 2012 in Home Decor

I love to make recycled jar crafts and one of my favorite ways is by upcycling the jars to make vases, candle holders and other home decor pieces. They’re usually quick projects that you can use for your own center pieces or home accents and you can give them as gifts. Here’s a fun little project you can make to dress up your fall table. Grab yourself some of the Buttons Galore and More fall buttons, some glue and you’re ready to get crafting. For this project I used an empty tomato sauce jar, but you can use any jar you like, just make sure to remove the label, wash and dry it before you get started.

Glass jar vase with buttons designed by Jen Goode

Materials you need to make a recycled jar crafts:

Tiny Round Buttons in fall colors
Leaf accents
Assortment of brown buttons
Brown burlap (canvas would work well too)
Hot glue and hot glue gun
Tan twine
Tag shaped Start-up
Alcohol markers

Fall button materials for glass jar vase

How to make recycled glass jar crafts – a pretty fall vase with buttons:

note: make sure to have your hot glue gun set on low heat so you don’t burn yourself while handling these small buttons. If you prefer, use craft glue and allow for dry time.

Cut a piece of burlap so that it’s long enough to completely wrap around your jar.
Add a center button in the middle of the burlap. I used 3 buttons for my center, a large brown button, a smaller decorative brown button and then a tiny red button – each glued in place.
Add a leaf embellishment to either side of the center brown button, gluing in place. I started out with a green and a dark brown on this piece and then changed my mind, I like the brown on brown much better. Choose whichever colors you prefer.
Add tiny buttons around the leaves, varying the colors as you’d like.
Wrap the burlap around the jar and glue in place.
To make the tag, color the tag as desired with alcohol markers, allow to dry. Glue tiny buttons in place. Add some twine from the burlap through the tag hole and tie a bow then glue the tag on to the burlap.

Glue embellishments in place

Center art is 3 buttons glued together

Buttons and burlap make pretty fall decor

Upcycle a Can into a Pretty Pencil Holder with Buttons

By Jen Goode on September 21, 2012 in Back to School, Kids Crafts

This project will keep the kids busy and help the environment! Upcycle your empty food cans into containers for various storage and use buttons to create a fresh, fun look. You can create any kind of pattern or look with just a few easy-to-find materials. I created a pencil holder out of a spaghetti sauce can.

First, I covered it with some fabric. Then I embellished the top edge with a swag design of pink and purple buttons. (Optionally, you can line the inside of the can as well.) I’ve created a number of different pencil and school supply containers using fabric or paper, so whichever you like best will work great!

upcycled can to pretty pencil holder

Materials you need to upcycle the can:

Craft glue (such as PPA Matte or Beacon Tacky Glue)
Fabric
Buttons: Sugar Plum Grab Bag & Strawberry Cheesecake
Twine (purple and white)
Scissors
Pen

Steps to make your own button embellished upcycled can pencil holder:

Measure and cut fabric to fit the outside of the can.
Cover the can with your choice of fabric & adhere with glue.
Add a swag pattern to the top of the outside edge of the can using glue and twine.
Adhere buttons in place, alternating colors.
Make small bows of twine and glue at the top of each swag.

glue twine to can

create a scalloped swag design with twine

add buttons to twine

add more buttons

make a bow out of twine and glue on the can – I got a little too much glue on my fingers

The best part about upcycling empty cans is that they are small. This allows you to use your left over craft scraps to make some neat, decorative containers. Mix and match your scraps with your favorite button colors to create a whole collection of pretty pencil holders and other organizing containers. Plus these are easy enough that your kids can make their own too!

Using brads to make paper flowers

By Jen Goode on August 15, 2012 in Paper Crafts

You can make paper flowers using just pretty paper and brads. Add layers of paper or fabric to make a more complex flower or you can even add in some floral wire to make petals that are bendable. For this tutorial I want to focus just on using brads to make paper flowers. Once you know this skill, you’ll be able to make a whole array of different kinds of flowers to use in your craft projects.

Paper flower with brads

Supplies you need to make paper flowers with brads

Brads – I used the Cozy Brads
Paper – any kind of scrap paper will work well
Scissors
Small hole punch

Cozy Brads

Steps to make your own brad and paper flowers

Cut out the petal shapes. I folded a 4×6″ piece of scrapbook paper. Cut out the tear drop shaped petal.
Layer 6 petals on top of each other, face up.
Punch a hole at the pointed end of the petals, about 1/4″ from the end.
Put the brad through the hole, corduroy top up.
Bend the ends of the brad toward the paper and flatten as much as possible.
Spread out the petals as desired.

steps to make a paper flower with a brad

Voila! You now should have a 6 petal flower you can use for whatever you’d like!

You don’t always need to use a hole punch when using brads, however, I find it much easier because the points on a brad are ment to bend. Sometimes the paper or fabric you want to push the brad through is so thick, the brad bends before it punctures the material. For this project I used a super small hole punch, a stand punch would be too large and the petals would slip around. So go grab a stash of your pretty paper scraps and make paper flowers.

Mini Christmas Packages with Buttons

By Jen Goode on July 5, 2012 in Holidays

I really love tiny decor pieces. You can put then in small spaces and it’s like finding a little treasure when you look around the house. This month’s challenge is to use Styrofoam and create a Christmas themed item, so I tied in my love for tiny things and recycled materials and came up with these tiny packages.

Materials you need:

Styrofoam cubes (I cut a large cube into smaller cubes)
Christmas themed buttons
Brown paper – lunch sacks work great
Twine
Glue
Scissors
Black marker or drawing pen (Sharpies work great!)
Paint and brush – optional

mini Christmas packages with buttons tutorial

Steps to make your own mini Christmas packages with buttons

You’ll need Styrofoam in cubes, I started with a large cube.
Cut the Styrofoam into small cubes. These are approximately 1.5″ square. You can use a bread knife or a foam cutter. I was able to get 8 small cubes out of one large cube.
Wrap each small cube with brown paper and tie with twine. Instead of taping the paper as you would with traditional gift wrapping, glue in place. I used glue dots so there was no drying time. If you want to create the look of gift wrap, decorate the paper before wrapping the Styrofoam cubes. I painted a green glitter dots on mine using DecoArt’s Glamour Dust paint.
Decide how you want to decorate your cubes and leave those sides free of other embellishments, twine, etc.
Tie a large green button and a small red button together with twine. Then glue to the front of one of the packages. This is the “O” in joy.
Choose extra buttons to decorate your packages. Buttons Galore and more has some great Christmas button sets you can choose from.
Attach extra buttons to the packages such as button gift tags, a candy cane or a small Christmas candy.

I found that the packages were so small, they didn’t stand up like I wanted when setting out to decorate. To fix this problem, you can hot glue each package to a small piece of balsa wood or cardboard. You could also stack your mini gifts and hold in place by using floral wire or toothpicks between each box. Decorate as desired.

Button and Burlap Patriotic Welcome Decor

By Jen Goode on June 8, 2012 in Holidays, Home Decor

I don’t do as much decorating for the patriotic holidays as I’d like. I do have quite a few family members in the military, so I think I get more caught up in remembering their service than I do decorating. This year I wanted to change that, so when I was challenged with using burlap in a button project, I knew right away what I wanted to do…

paint burlap and button American flag decor by Jen Goode

Make an American flag decor sign using buttons and burlap. Using some paint on the burlap, it’s easy to get that rustic look with lots of fun texture and interest without having to create a super detailed piece. This project can easily be created in just a couple hours. I used Decoart craft paints for this project. Feel free to use what you have on hand.

Burlap and button project supplies

Materials you need:

Ivory buttons
Tan/natural colored burlap
American Paint in Alizarin Crimson, Primary Blue and Light Buttermilk.
Decoart Dazzling Metalics paint in Glorious Gold
Craft glue
1/4″ Wood dowel
Natural colored twine
Paint brush and Scissors
Wood letters to spell “Welcome”

Tie twine and glue buttons for faux sewn look

Welcome patriotic wall art

Step by Step instructions

Make your own Patriotic wall decor using buttons and burlap:

Cut burlap to your desired size
Paint an American flag on the burlap (make sure to protect your work surface under the fabric). Let dry.
Attach buttons to blue area of flag. You can either sew or glue. I tied twine through the buttons and then glued the buttons in place.
Cut second piece of fabric, paint blue.
Paint wood letters and dowel using Gold. I used a paper towel to spread the paint to give a bit more aged look. Let dry.
Glue letters in place.
Attach Welcome piece to flag fabric piece. either sew or glue. Add final buttons on edges as shown.
Attach to dowel. I pinned mine but you can sew or glue – whichever you prefer. Tie twine around the edges of the dowel and hang as desired.

Tips:

Using a flat, square brush helps make nice stripes and blocks of color with the paint.
To create frayed look, gently pull threads of burlap on top or bottom of fabric to remove. Repeat until desired frayed look.

Patriotic wall decor using buttons and burlap

Giant Button in New York City

By Jen Goode on June 7, 2012 in Home Decor

I was at a show last week and spotted this giant button in New York City. I really wanted to be able to get a giant set of chalk markers to color in some fantastic, vibrant art on it. You know, liven it up a bit, add some personality. A big black button is just begging for some color!

I didn’t get closer, so I’m not sure what that little building is the button is sitting on. I’m also a little confused why there are 5 button holes instead of just 4, but regardless… how fun is that!?

Giant button in NY City

Mixed media button art with a little love

By Jen Goode on May 18, 2012 in Home Decor, Mixed Media

I really love collage and mixed media. I’m sure I’ve said it before already, but really, I love collage. The idea of mixing textures to create a cohesive piece of fabulousness is a fun challenge I really enjoy. It’s neat to see what you can come up with when you mix odds and ends and some fantastic color. So, today’s project is an example of such fun… button art using Jacquard Lumiere dimensional metallic paint, fabric, old book paper and of course buttons!

Heart and Swirls button art by Jen Goode

Materials you’ll need to make this button art:

Brown and red button
Twine
Book paper or newspaper
Jacquard’s Lumiere 3D Dimensional Metallic Paint & Adhesive
Brown burlap
Misc embellishments or beads
Heart and swirl printable art by Jen Goode

steps to make button art

How to make your own button art

This dimensional paint is also as adhesive, so while you can use it to create pretty pieces, you can also use it to “glue” things in place.

Something to note, The directions I’m sharing are not in the order I did things… I painted the heart and then did the background which turned out to be a bit backwards, so instead, I’m sharing steps in the order I should have done them.

Download and print the heart art onto a piece of book paper or newspaper.
Color the background. Put some paint onto a paper plate for easy use. Using a damp paper towel, rub some Brass paint on to the paper. Add a layer of Copper directly to the edge of the paper and then rub using the damp paper towel. Add dots of Brass paint to create a bit of a pattern inside the heart, then add another line of Brass paint directly to the paper on all 4 sides and let dry as it.
Using a paint brush, paint the heart and flowers first Brass and then add accents of Copper.
Once all paint dries, gently tear both the top and bottom of the art completely off, creating two strips of paper. Tear a bit to trim down the size, adhere extra embellishments as desired.
Cut burlap to fit your frame opening. Adhere heart image in place and then both top and bottom pieces, leaving a bit of space to allow the burlap to show through.
Finish by tying twine through buttons and then adhering in place.
Frame as desired.

Button art and illustration by Jen Goode

Layering buttons creates a more interesting look and compliments the dimensional paint. Choose buttons of different sizes and finishes to create a more interesting art piece. I really like mixing shiny buttons with flat finish buttons to add more dimension between them. Use buttons in your own decor to add a little fun interest and detail!

Tell me about your favorite button art!

Quick pony tail holder with buttons

By Jen Goode on April 30, 2012 in Jewelry, Kids Crafts, Wearable

We have a ton of plain colored pony tale holders around the house. This is fine for me, but for my little princess, sometimes a plain ponytail just isn’t enough. Instead of buying a ton of different decorated rubber bands, make them yourself using buttons with the loophole in the back. It’s easy, quick and gives you the opportunity to customize the look of your little hair pieces. (This would even be great for grown up princesses, using some pretty shiny or elegant buttons ~ wink).

Ponytail holder made with a button

Make a ponytail holder using buttons

Pink flower button ponytail holder

The best part about these button ponytail holders is that I can change the buttons to make a whole new look at any time. There’s no glue or cutting… just pulling the rubber band through the button back and voila! You could add more than one button if you’d like, but I think you’d need a little bigger rubber band. I used a small 1.5″ diameter rubber band for this example. This would also be a fun project for kids to make!

What quick and fun projects do you like to use buttons for?

How do you store your buttons?

By Jen Goode on April 27, 2012 in Organization

I love the look of buttons. The variety of sizes colors and shapes are just fun to look at without doing anything with them. So, when I store my buttons, I like to put them out on display. I found some great jars I like to keep them in. I can see them and enjoy them as they are but I can also easily find them when they are stored like this.

Store buttons in fun glass jars

I think it’s fun to use different storage containers.

You can use jars, bowls, bags… keep them in the packaging you bought them in, whatever you like. Put them in bags and in a drawer so you can see them all when you need them but they are tucked away nicely when you aren’t using them. I also have a plastic compartment box I use and I separate the buttons by color. However, my favorite button storage solution is looking for interesting glass at the thrift shops. Some of my smaller buttons fit perfectly into little vintage spice jars – so cute! I keep everything on a couple of shelves, out in the open to see and it works great for me.

Jars of buttons

How do you store your buttons?

Happy Frog with Buttons Wall Art

By Jen Goode on April 6, 2012 in Home Decor, Kids Crafts

Sometimes a few buttons can finish off a piece perfectly. This month is National Frog Month, so I thought it would be fun to create some wall art with one of my printable images… a frog, of course! I found some cute little flower shaped buttons in my green button bonanza which I thought would be a perfect fit for this project.

Happy Frog and Fly wall decor with button accents by Jen Goode

Materials you need:

Green flower buttons from Green Button Bonanza pack
Green embroidery thread
Happy Frog and Fly digital stamp by Jen Goode, printed on cardstock
Coordinating ribbon and background paper

Tools and other supplies:

Cardstock, scissors, craft glue, coloring materials

Steps to make your own Happy Frog and Fly wall decor with button accents

Print out, color and cut out the Happy Frog and Fly image and adhere to background paper/s.
Cut ribbon to size and adhere to edges of picture card.
Tie embroidery thread on each button, trim and glue on each corner of picture card.
Frame as desired.

Print, color and adhere frog art on background papers

Add ribbon and buttons to edge of art card

Finished Happy frog art with cute flower buttons

This same wall art can also be created as a greeting card, just leave out the frame and adhere to a blank card. You can turn your pretty colored art into super cute decor with a few fun accents. Buttons add dimension and interest. Find interesting button shapes and add them to your craft projects for an added touch. If you are looking for more button craft ideas you can check us out on Pinterest and while you are there enter our Pin it to Win it Contest

Fun button art with scraps from your stash

By Jen Goode on March 23, 2012 in Mixed Media

I love to make new fun with old scraps and recycled do-dads. Buttons are a perfect addition to any mix and match project because you can get buttons in a million different colors and sizes so you’re sure to find something that fits what you’re doing. Next time you’re looking for a little creative project that’s quick and easy, pull out your fabric stash and some buttons and make a pile of these mini art pieces.

Mini button art from craft scraps and buttons

You can either stitch everything together or use fabric glue, whichever you prefer. Mix in some paper, embroidery thread, fabric and whatever else you’d like to add. You can turn these mini button art pieces into pins to wear, keepsake gift tags or even frame them for a truly unique piece of decor.

make cute button art with fabric and buttons

The flower button in this project was one of the special crafter buttons called Start Ups. You can color them to make your own unique look so I put mine in some Rit dye along with some fabric scraps to get the vibrant new colors out of old drab fabric. You can also color the Start Ups with alcohol ink markers.

make your own cute button art

I used denim, linen and cotton fabric along with a variety of individual buttons, some Start Ups and embroidery thread. Any kind of extras would work. So the next time you find yourself wondering what to do with some of your craft scraps, grab a bag of buttons and make yourself some fabulous mini art pieces. They make great gifts and are simple enough that your kids can help too!

Shamrock button pin

By Jen Goode on March 13, 2012 in Holidays, St. Patrick’s Day

Make your own hand stitch shamrock button pin with scrap fabric and some green buttons. I used 3 different buttons from the Luck button tote for my pin project, you can mix and match however you’d like. Using some fabric glue and stitching with embroidery floss, you can make a whole variety of shamrock button pins to decorate or give away for St. Patrick’s Day.

For this piece I used denim, felt and linen. I pulled out threads on both the denim and linen to give more of a rough, frayed edge. However, you can finish the edges of your pins however you like. Coordinate your embroidery thread colors or create a contrasting look. You can make so many different variation of this simple pin with just a few different supplies.

Shamrock Button Pin by Jen Goode

Materials needed to make a shamrock button pin:

3 green buttons
Scrap fabric in different colors and textures
Embroidery floss
Fabric glue
Pin back

How to make your own shamrock button pin:

You can either glue your buttons on to the piece or stitch, these instructions I’m going to use the stitch method.

Cut 2-3 piece of fabric ranging in size for stacking.
Using embroidery thread and top fabric piece, stitch buttons in place, tie off.
Stitch additional embellishment and accents.
Stack and glue fabric together letting each layer dry separately.
Using a piece of fabric, glue pin back in place and let dry.

Make a fun shamrock button pin

Shamrock button pin back

Make your own shamrock button pin with green buttons

Making your own shamrock button pin is a fun and quick craft you can also make with kids. If you’d rather just glue the whole thing together, try using fabric markers to draw your thread marks. Use embroidery thread to create the tied look to the buttons before you glue the buttons to the fabric. Mix up the button sizes, embroidery thread colors and fabric you use for extra looks.

I’d love to see what fun you have with this St. Patrick’s Day button project!

Jen

Easy Button Valentines

By Jen Goode on January 16, 2012 in Holidays

Cute Button and Ribbon Valentine by Jen Goode

You can make pretty little button Valentines for your true love, or with the kids for their class using buttons and felt. I created these three pieces using scraps of felt and ribbon and a bit of glue, that’s it! You could use fabric scraps, paper or cardstock. You could even paint a background and use the buttons to access the art.

This is a great Valentine’s Day project to do with the kids. Cut shapes for the little ones and let them glue everything together.Easy peazy, right? Tip: lay out everything before adding glue. Then put glue in the shape where buttons will be placed, example: I make a heart outline using glue and then placed all the buttons on the glue.

Supplies you need:

Button Bonanza in Pink
Button Bonanza in Bubblegum
Felt assortment
Ribbon assortment
Craft glue
Scissors

Button Valentines by Jen Goode

Mix and match your supplies with different layouts to create a wide selection of Valentines using your buttons. If you have a little frame, you could even turn these pieces into pretty Valentine’s Day art. Gotta love the buttons!

Holiday Decor – Christmas Tree Button Collage

By Jen Goode on December 5, 2011 in Christmas

Pretty button collage Christmas Tree by Jen Goode

Christmas Tree Button Collage by Jen Goode

Make your own pretty Christmas Tree decor with buttons. You can add any extras you like including button ornaments and mini garland. I created this holiday button decor using an old placement that I recycled to create the background piece. I love it when a project is completed without sewing a single thing!

Materials you need:

1 bag of Button Bonanza – Green
Gold ornate buttons – Gold and Silver Grab Bag
Gold corner pieces
Background fabric
Red ribbon
Fabri-Tac
3 in 1 Craft glue
Scissors

Christmas Tree Button Collage - close up

How to make this Button Collage Christmas Tree holiday decor

Sketch the tree shape on to the finished fabric background. I used a dark green colored pencil on lighter green fabric so the pencil would blend in once I was finished with my collage.
Apply fabric glue all around the inside of the tree shape.
Place green buttons on glue making sure to mix the sizes up while still covering the majority of the space with buttons. Let dry.
Using craft glue, add gold buttons throughout tree to appear as ornaments on the tree.
Measure, cut and adhere red ribbon along each side of the fabric background leaving at least an inch of green fabric on either edge of the ribbon. Glue gold corners on top of ribbon.

Button Napkin Rings for Autumn

By Jen Goode on November 7, 2011 in Holidays, Home Decor

Autumn button napkin rings and candle by Jen Goode

Buttons are such a great embellishment for your table settings. Grab yourself a bag of Autumn colored buttons and make a center piece and some festive napkin rings and let the family gatherings begin! I made this set of 4 button napkin rings and embellished a glass candle holder with the same button set.

Materials you need:

1 bag of Harvest Button Bonanza buttons
Scrap fabric
Large glass candle jar
Craft glue and fabric glue

How to make fall button napkin rings:

Cut your fabric to the length and height you prefer. Glue the ends together to make the ring.
Add buttons as you’d like, attaching with fabric glue. Add additional layers of buttons on top of buttons for added interest using the craft glue.

To embellish the candle jar, simply use the craft glue and place buttons as desired. Hold the jar sidewise for a few minutes to prevent the buttons from slipping before the glue has a chance to dry.

Autumn button napkin ring detail Jen Goode

Button Art – Pink Ribbon Love Plaque

By Jen Goode on October 19, 2011 in Home Decor

Pink Ribbon Button Art Love Plaque by Jen Goode

I have been loving all of the button collage and plaque art I’ve seen lately so I decided I wanted to try to make one myself. The pink ribbon push in October is very important to me and my family, so I thought this would be a great direction to go with my project this month. I’m not a pink girl, but for support and family love, I will surround myself in it proudly!

Pink Ribbon Button Art Love Plaque by Jen Goode

Supplies:

Button Bonanza in Pink
Button Bonanza in Bubblegum
Aleens’s® Original Tacky glue
Pink felt
Stiff bristle paint brush
Foundation piece (wood, foam board, etc.)
Pink paint
Pink ribbon

Pink button assortment of Button Bonanza packs

Pink Ribbon Button Art Love Plaque by Jen Goode

How to make your own Pink Ribbon Love Plaque:

Now let me start by saying, I was in a hurry to get started on this piece so I put mine together a little differently than I would recommend. I made my piece on foam core that I then glued to a piece of wood. However, I recommend you just use a base of wood and skip the foam core all together. Mine works fine, but it’s an unnecessary layer. So let’s get started!

Either print out words on your computer using white letters on a pink printed background, or hand draw letters on to your board.If you print your word, adhere the printed paper to the board using glue or Mod Podge that you brush on for full coverage as if you were decoupaging the paper in place.

print your word out and glue to your board

Glue buttons on the negative space of the board, meaning the area around the letters. I brushed the glue on for more coverage and less globbing of the glue.

Glue buttons on to the negative space of the art

Finish the edges of the board with paint and glue on the ribbon.

Finish edges with paint and ribbon

You could optionally add eye screws to the top of the board and a ribbon so you could hang your plaque. I chose to set mine on the mantel.

Finally, make a pink ribbon and adhere it in the center of the O. I used a small piece of pink felt to make my ribbon and then added two pink buttons in the center.

Pink Ribbon button art by Jen Goode

Pretty up a pencil bag with buttons

By Jen Goode on August 15, 2011 in Kids Crafts

Button embellished pencil holder by Jen Goode

School just started for my kids so we’ve been busy buying supplies and getting ready for the upcoming year.I decided to have some fun and add a little personalization to some of our school supplies using buttons. Here’s an easy way to add button embellishments to a make a cute pencil bag. You can add any kind of flat back button and create any kind of pattern or design for your own personal touch.

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Cute recycled T-shirt button skirt

By Jen Goode on July 11, 2011 in Wearable

DIY recycled t-shirt button skirt by Jen Goode

Between all my kids, the house is always filled with someone’s clothes that don’t fit anymore. With hand-me-downs, the boys have had a great selection of new clothes in every size, but my daughter isn’t about to get excited over monster truck t-shirts unless that have bling in sparkly pink and purple. However, with a little creativity, we can turn any rough, tough boy-wear to fabulous girly in no time!

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Patriotic Button Mini Art Set

By Jen Goode on June 13, 2011 in Home Decor

Patriotic mini art frames by Jen Goode

There are so many great ways to create extra decor pieces for July 4th and other patriotic holidays. Add a little extra fun to your home with buttons in red, white and blue to show off your American spirit. This 3 piece button art requires only a few supplies and is fairly quick and easy to create. I used many recycled pieces and scraps including buttons from a grab bag button pack which added to the variations of sizes and colors I had available.

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Pretty Button Flower Wall Decor

By Jen Goode on May 20, 2011 in Home Decor

This project can be made using a variety of recycled materials combined with your favorite pretty buttons. Add a touch of color to your decor for a flower garden inspiration all year long. I created this project to accent pieces in my daughter’s bedroom, but you can adapt it to fit where ever you’d like some “pretty little blooms”.

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Something Blue Button Embellished Bridal Clutch

By Jen Goode on April 5, 2011 in Occasions

Button embellished bridal clutch by Jen Goode

Something borrowed, something blue this bridal clutch is the perfect accessory with a handmade touch. Use blue and pearl buttons along with delicate blue ribbon, eyelet fabric and faux satin, to create a pretty little purse fit for a wedding.

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