Famous Jewelry Collections: THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Monday, January 9, 2012

THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Posted: 09 Jan 2012 04:00 AM PST

Buttons are not just for fastening clothes. As they are often colorful and pretty, they are also popular for making informal jewelry. The reason is obvious - button stashes!

Here are more button tutorials to inspire. The easy kind - the way we like it! More tutorial links below.

Necklaces
Jen over at Tatertots and Jello has a beautiful button and fabric flower bib necklace tutorial which is quick to whip up. It's a fabric stash buster too as she suggests the use of fabric covered buttons. She called it her Flirty Summer necklace but different fabric choices will make it suitable for any time of the year.

Emi over at the Small Good Things blog has a great idea using pinch bails. Her tutorial covers the use of 2 hole and shank buttons.

Lindy over at the Itsy bitsy Paper blog has a super easy tutorial for making colorful pendants. She used glue but you could also wire them them together making full use of the holes!! You can also make extra holes with a hot nail. As Lindy says, these make great gifts.

Bracelets
Some people love weaving so this one will appeal because it requires weaving small buttons together and then weaving a ribbon for the bracelet fastening part. The tutorial is by Nicola over at Smitten Kitten.

Some large vintage buttons are just fabulous. So if you have those in your stash, make this easy elastic button bracelet by Candace Jedrowicz. There is also a video link if you need it.

Earrings and Rings
The jewelry making part of Sami Teasdale's tutorial on Sewhip (UK sewing magazine) for stud button earrings and rings is very easy as it just requires gluing on the right findings. But I picked her tutorial because she covers how to make fabric covered buttons.

I've connected buttons together with jump rings for easy button earrings. But this Ornamentea tutorial by Tracey Johnson uses a filigree stamping to great effect!