Button Button, Who's Got the Covered Button?

Awhile ago I had a mini love affair with covered buttons. I made a bunch of them and used them on different things and then never posted any of them, so here they all are! Plus a little how-to at the end if you've never made them before.

Barrettes

Take off the loop on the back and hot glue them to the top of ribbon covered alligator clips. These are 7/8" buttons.

Earrings

Take off the loop on the back and hot glue them to earring posts. You can use any size button, but these in the picture are 1/2".

 Hair Ties

Leave the loop on the back on and loop a hair tie through it on each end. These are 7/8" buttons.

Pretty Thumb Tacks

Take the loop off the back and hot glue a flat head thumb tack in them. These are 1/2" buttons.

Here they are in use, ahhh, so cute!

Actual Buttons!

Use them for their intended purpose: as actual buttons. Liven up an old cardigan by adding some cute new buttons. Make sure that the button size you choose will fit through the existing button hole.

Here's a before picture (it's a rather unfortunately boxy cardi).

Here's the after on me (looking rather well endowed if I do say so my self. Too bad the girls have shrunk a bit since I've lost weight).

What are some fun ways that you guys have used covered buttons?

The How-To 
There are instructions on the packet you get at the store, but I already took the pictures, so here you go!

Optional: If you're going to need to take the loop in the back off, do so first thing. Take a pair of flat nosed pliers and squeeze the loop closed and it should just pop off the backing. I've heard that you can buy buttons with the backs already off, but they don't sell them at my store.

Step 1: Using the little circle template that comes with the set, trace and cut out however many circles you want buttons of. Some people use a second fabric as a lining, but I find that it then becomes too bulky, so I just do the one layer.

Step 2: Using the button smasher that comes in the kit, set the soft plastic thing down first, then your fabric right side down, then the button front and then the thumb press. Make sure everything is nice and centered and push down.

Step 3: The button front will now be squished down into the soft plastic thing. Take the backing (with or without loop) and place it on top of the plastic thing. Take the blue thumb press and press the backing down into the button front.

You're all done! Make sure that none of the edges are coming out from behind the backing. The first on is kind of hard, but then they're a piece of cake!