I am putting out a call for some much needed assistance. Every year I make ornaments for family and friends for the holiday season. This year I decided to leave my comfort zone of fabric and go for some more arts and crafts type ornaments. I thought it would be neat to melt some green and brown buttons down in the shape of a Christmas tree - kind of like
this but with buttons and in a shape. I read around and people said yeah melt the buttons but the fumes are pretty bad so heads up. I went for it. Epic FAIL. Yes fumes are horrible. Buttons barely melted. Complete no go. Now I have a bunch of buttons and I am determined to make button Christmas tree ornaments. I saw
this great idea on Pinterest but I don't have enough buttons with different diameters to make it work.
 |
| The load of buttons I now own. |
 |
| What I was attempting to go for and it would melt down all cute and fun. |
So, now I am thinking about using some mod podge and shellacking these puppies onto something. Fabric? Felt? I don't know. Apparently I am losing the battle to creativity this year. I always like to date and initial the ornaments - some people have collections seven years old now from me so I want it to withstand the ages and be worthy of the tradition.
Any ideas on what to do or input would be phenomenal because honestly I am at a loss :-( I want to maintain the tree idea and use all these damn buttons but other than that anything goes!
cheers wonderful crafty minds!
kim
I would definitely try putting them onto felt. you could even stitch them on with red thread to make it look more festive. Or hot glue. Hot glue fixes all things.
ReplyDeletedoes it really have to be trees? i really love this idea, which i stumbled upon sometime this year: http://craftapalooza.typepad.com/crafted/2009/11/its-a-button-wreath-tutorial-but-you-didnt-really-need-me.html
ReplyDeleteCan you try stiching them on to some felt?
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Christmas wreath at the bottom of the post?
ReplyDeleteCan yiu buy little wooden christmas tree shapes that you could glue them too or if you are handy with a jigsaw cut them out yourself?
ReplyDeleteNot sure how long you left yours in the oven, but when I made one of those sun catcher things I had to leave mine in for double the time (about an hour). If you try that I would use buttons that are okay to possibly ruin. Also I don't think the translucent pony beads used in the tutorial and the buttons are the same plastic, because the non-translucent pony beads don't always melt. Another idea, what if you used clear pony beads to encase the buttons? Of course they could slide around, but if you melt a layer of beads, then put the buttons in (and quickly because they set fast), and then add another layer of clear pony beads it might work--probably not what you envisioned though... I do wish you the best of luck in this crafty dilemma.
ReplyDeleteI would get some cardstock and a nice frame and then hot glue your bittons exactly as laid out above.
ReplyDeleteCheck out http://missymaccreations.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/donktober-button-donkey-tutorial.html
Admitedly it's a donkey, but the technique and end product would be the same.
E
Have you come up with a plan? Target has cute ornaments. Just sayin.
ReplyDelete