Tutorial - Framed Covered Buttons

I love fabric covered buttons.
In fact...I buy fabric that I think will look great on a covered button.
I know...it's just another reason to feed into my fabric obsession!

Speaking of obsessions...another one I have is tools.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't buy a tool just for the heck of it...a purchase is justified only if it is something that will really make a project easier and therefore...more fun.
Yes...fun is the objective when I am creating. If it's not fun I really don't want to do it...I'm fickle that way!

So anywhoo...instead of just keeping my covered buttons in a jar and only using them now and then....I thought it would be fun to display some in a frame.

So a couple of weeks ago I did just that...and this is where the explanation of my love of tools comes into play.

Below is the toy...(read tool!)...that I used for this project. It's actually for scrapbooking but as I have said before, I find alot of things for my quilting in the scrapbooking supplies.

It's called an "i-top " by imaginisce and it's a brad maker.

I bought it last year when it first came out and I have used it quite a bit for scrapbooking and making cards and such.

The button forms that I normally use are of course buttons not brads and have a shank in the back...so they can be a little difficult when trying to layer them on top of things...although...

I have removed the shank with needle nose pliers before for other projects but for this one, I thought that the brads on the back would work perfectly.

This instuctional DVD comes with the tool and shows you how to use it ...BTW, in case you are wondering, I bought my i-top at Roberts Crafts.

The tool makes 3 different size brads and I used the smallest ones (16mm) for this project.

They also come as magnet backs instead of brads as shown in the above picture.

I have made some really cute magnets using my i-top.

You of course can use scrapbooking paper in it also which is what it is intended for...but I like using fabric in it too for lots of other projects that need fabric circles!

This is the circle template so that you know which size circle to cut .

I forgot to mention that another requirement of mine before I buy a tool is that it has to be cute...and as I've said before...it doesn't hurt if it comes with a fabulous designer bag!

This is the i-top bag and it stores the tool, brads and circle templates along with the dvd and anything else you might need inside very nicely.

Okay...onto how I did it.

I used the small circle on the template to trace onto my fabric...

...and cut it out. This is what the top looks like and the bottom "brad" part.

I placed the top on the small setting of my i-top...

...and placed the circle over it and pressed.

This step is just to wrap it around the top smoothly and to get it centered.

I pushed down the gathers with my finger...

...and then placed the brad into the other side of my i-top like so.

I took this picture for you just before I squeezed the handles together to make the brad.

This is what it looks like when I release the handles.

I just pull the pink rubber part back a bit and pop out my brad.

I used a 5 x 7 shadow box frame (to make room for the bulk of the buttons) that I bought at the craft store.
I usually buy frames with unfinished wood because I like to paint my frames to match my own vintagey decor.

I also used an off white colored mat for the frame...I thought it would set the buttons off nicely.

I taped a piece of graph paper behind the mat so that I could use it as a guide to center my buttons and see how many I would need to make.

15 buttons were just right so I marked a dot right in the center where every button would go using my graph paper to make sure that they were evenly spaced.

I used the cardboard that came in the frame for the background of the buttons.

Origanally I had planned on using fabric but I liked the color and the unfinished cardboard look. You could also use linen or chipboard which would give the same look if your frame comes with ugly cardboard.

I think that the little buttons all lined up look a little bit like a vintage button card!

I placed my mat with taped on graph paper directly on top of my cardboard (because they are the same size, I knew it would be centered)....and marked my holes with a piercing tool.

Then I punched a larger hole over them to allow for the size of the brad shanks.

I used another favorite tool of mine....a holepunching drill by Martha Stewart.

It's really a handy little tool and of course it comes in a case!...lol
It drill/punches 3 sizes of holes and they are stored in the end of the handle that unscrews.

I really like Martha Stewart scrapbooking tools. They are made really well and she has alot of very useful ones that I havn't seen anywhere else. I buy them at Michaels.

Okay....then I arranged my buttons in a pleasing manner and placed them in the holes. Because they are brads, they are not permanent so I can change them out for the seasons if I want to....and you never know...I just might.

I then painted my frame a creamy white instead of a color because I wanted all of my fabric buttons to pop against the white.

I like to buy the little 2 oz. sample bottles of paint to use in my crafting because you can pretty much get any shade of any color out there and ...yes...the little bottles are so fun.

I put it all together when the frame was dry...do you like it?

Of course I had to put a cute little honeybee on one of my buttons.....

....and gingham & polka dots.

I placed it on an easel in my Family Room.....

If you have any questions or would like to leave me a comment about this fun little project....just click below and let me know....it makes me happy to hear from you.