Saturday, June 28, 2008

Button Necklace

I remember Grandma’s button box tucked neatly in the bottom of her dresser. If I was good, I could look at it and pick out a button! Oh! They were so pretty! I wanted them all, but could only have one at a time! I do think it was a pretty sneaky way to make me behave!!!

And then I saw a bag of clear Foofoola buttons and knew that I would soon have all the pretty buttons I could ever want! For this project, I took the Foofoola buttons and applied alcohol inks to both sides of the buttons. Using wire, I threaded the buttons together using 3 or 4 layers of buttons at a time. And in the very front of the necklace, I’ve added 5 uninked buttons just to make it look a bit more festive!

Grandma would be so proud! I can just here her now….she’d probably let me have all her buttons at once!!!




Supply list:
Foofoola clear buttons
Adirondack Alcohol Inks, Ranger Industries, Cranberry, Stream, Bottle, Lettuce, Butterscotch, Wild Plum; Applicator
Amaco Fun Wire



Instructions:

1. Apply alcohol inks to both sides of buttons, dry.
2. Cut a piece of wire. Bring it up through the bottom of the first button, back down through the second hole and down into the first hole of the second button.
3. Bring the wire up through the second hole in the second button and through the first hole in the third button.



4. You can layer as many layers as you like continuing in this pattern. Each row of buttons will be in an alternating pattern rather than straight up and down on top of each other.
5. Make sure that the opening is large enough to fit over your head
6. To tie off, simply lay the ends together, lining up layers and run the wire through each layer of buttons. To tie off, simply twist the wire 3 times around a button bottom and then clip the wire.




As you can see, it will change colors depending on the color you put behind it. Like wearing a "new" necklace with each outfit!



The fun thing is that you can make this as short or long as you want. Use up all of Grandma's buttons, buy new buttons, or use clear ones like I did. I think the possibilities are just endless!

1 comment:

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

Gorgeous! Absolutely divine. Love the colour of those clear buttons. :0)