March Tree and 4 Leaf Clover Button Tutorial

Its March, which means those little leprechauns are out running around with there pots of gold. I’ve seen enough rainbows lately to know they are out there teasing us all. March also means new Tree décor. I’m back at it with those buttons and making ornaments which coincidently work pretty well as gift ornaments as well. So here is a NEW tutorial with new idea’s for you to build upon and make ornaments and decorate packages with! Whoo hoo!!!


4 Button St. Patrick’s day Ornament

Warning!!
Now I’m all for quick and easy tutorials that take a few hours. This is not that tutorial. You need at least 24 hours to complete this tutorial due to glue drying. Otherwise the actual construction takes minutes!!


Okay so the concept for these comes from the idea of a 4-leaf clover. So of course I had to make something symmetrical and it had to look like a 4-leaf clover. What I didn’t realize is that I didn’t have a lot of really green buttons so I’ve compromised and made buttons out of a light green and a purple (for some reason when I think St. Patrick’s day I also think purple).

Here is the tutorial please forgives my horrible pictures BT was at work and I wanted to get it done for the holiday!

DAY 1

Supplies
Scissors
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needle
4 Buttons that are all the same size (it doesn’t matter how many holes the button has I just happened to have 4 hole buttons)
Bent Paperclip
Glass & Bead Glue
1/16” Ribbon color of your choice!

The first items you will need is the Glass & Bead Glue and the 4 Buttons.


Squeeze out a little bit of glue. Be careful don’t squeeze it to hard it will start to come out by itself (something about the design of the bottle).
Place the glue on the edge of the button between two of the holes.

Place button with glue face up on the table and then push the 2nd button to the edge of the other button with the button holes lined up. Take your fingernail and remove excess glue (it usually squeezes up when you push the 2 buttons together).

Repeat this with the other two buttons. Make sure you don’t glue the buttons to the table (I gently move the buttons around on the table so there is airflow to seal up the glue). Now walk away you need to let this dry for about an hour so it stiffens up. I usually put together a lot of these 2 button pieces and then go to the gym or for a walk when you get back your ready for your next step.



After an hour has passed, take the glue and just like the last step you will add the glue to the edge of the 2 buttons you have clued together. Place button with glue face up on the table take your other 2 buttons you have glued together and push them together and remove excess glue.


Now really walk away! For at least 15 hours minimum. I usually do the previous steps in the evening so that I sleep and go to work then come home and im ready to finish up the ornaments.

DAY 2

Get out your embroidery floss, needle, scissors, and button creation.


Cut about 10 inches of embroidery floss or more if you are going to be preparing more than 1 ornament.


Thread your needle. Take the needle and go through the back of one of the holes in the button. Pull through so you have a 1 inch tail at the back of the button.


Start to stitch through the button holes to make designs.

You should end up with something like this or more creative.


Now on the back of the button ornament take the two tails of embroidery floss and tie a double knot.


Trim off ends of knot.


You should now have this…


Now cut about 20 inches of ribbon.



Place ribbon over 1 of the button holes.


With bent paperclip push the ribbon through the hole.


Pull ribbon through. Take the two ends of the ribbon.


Wrap the ribbon around your fingers.



Put the ends of your ribbon under the loop you have made with fingers.


Pull the ends of the ribbon to make a knot.


Trim the ends of the ribbon. You don’t have to do this you can leave the ends and make bows like in the previous button tutorial.


Pull so knot is behind the back side of the button.

TADA you are done! You now have an ornament for your tree or a present ornament.