Week #26 From Sunny CA-Covered Button Magnets/Pins

This week we are visiting my family in California, where I grew up. Now I am not a fan of all things California, (traffic, smog, housing prices) but I have to say that where I grew up is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Of course I am not biased or anything, you be the judge:

I was not going to let travel be an excuse to get behind, so I had to come up with a project that I could take with me and did not require a sewing machine. I packed up a big back of fabric scraps, and ran to JoAnn's right before leaving for the airport.

Challenge: Make something while traveling
Project: Covered button magnets/pins

My craft table this week. with my dad's hobby vineyard in the background. Boy am I roughing it out here huh?

I have never made covered buttons before. . . I  now love it. There is something so satisfying about it. If you haven't made your own before, try it, it is a little addictive.

For those of you who haven't done this before, here is a little tutorial:

First buy a kit, it comes with a mold, pattern, buttons, backings and a press. My kit was cool because it came with both button backings and flat craft backings.

Place the pattern on the fabric the hole in the center of the pattern shows you what is going to show up on your button. Trace the pattern, you can do this on the front of the fabric as it is not going to show on the finished button.

Cut out and then place the fabric centered on the mold. Push the button front into the mold.

Fold fabric into the center of the button and then press backing onto button. I was mostly able to do this with my fingers but needed the press when using thick or stiff fabric.

After I used E6000 to glue the magnet to the back of the button.

Tada, easy, done and no sewing machine.

I also made a few into pushpins by gluing a push pin to the back instead of a magnet. I am going to try and see if I can figure out how to make a hair tie with one of these as well.


Ta, ta for now, I am off to the beach!