Prym Consumer USA Inc. | America's Notions and Crafts Company

Christmas Ornaments Made With Covered Buttons

Fabric-covered buttons can be turned into special Christmas ornaments by embellishing them with decorative stitching, glitter, beads and more! Choose from several size buttons and create your own Christmas ornaments. Use them to trim your tree, as a package decoration or for gift-giving.

Time to completion: 4 - 5 hours

Skill level: 2 of 5, 1 being the easiest

Here Are Some Ideas To Get You Started
Pre-printed Fabric - Use a fabric printed with a Christmas design to cover your button. This is the easiest ornament to make. Choose a design in proportion to the size of your button.

Fabric Painting - Cover button with fabric; then paint your own Christmas design. Or create interest by outlining a design on a printed fabric with glitter paint.

Glitter & Beads - Cover button with fabric. Brush or dab glue on fabric and cover with glitter or beads. It's a great way to add extra dimension.

Battenburg Lace - Cover button with fabric and then glue on a mini lace heart and ribbon rose. Or glue a lace doily over a layer of fabric and then cover button.

Button Combinations - Smaller buttons can be glued on top buttons of larger buttons or two buttons of the same size can be glued back to back.

Materials List

Dritz Cover Buttons - Size 100 (2½"), size 75 (1 7/8"), or size 60 (1½")
6" Square fabric, woven or knit
5" Square lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing
8" Piece of ruffled trim
Felt, small piece to cover back of button

6" Piece of soutache braid for hanger
Hot glue gun
Fabric marking pen or dressmaker pencil
Scissors
Tissue paper

Instructions


1.	Using pliers, remove wire shank from back of button cover by pinching shank together and pulling it out (Figure 1).
2.	Fuse interfacing to wrong side of fabric. Interfacing is needed to reinforce lightweight, knit and slippery fabrics and to stabilize fabrics that will be embellished with decorative machine stitching. It also helps to prevent shadow-through of button shell.
3.	Cut out button pattern from back of package or trace off shape on tissue paper, making a full circle. Place pattern on right side of fabric and center over design. Cut out fabric circle (Figure 2).
4.	Center fabric over button cover. Working from side to side and top to bottom, hook fabric onto teeth. Then continue working around button, hooking fabric onto teeth and stretching fabric for a tight smooth fit (Figure 3). Tip: Use a pencil eraser to help catch fabric on teeth.
5.	Mark top of button on back side. Fold soutache braid in half and hook ends of braid into teeth at top of button (Figure 4). Or, if desired, glue ends of braid to backplate after it's attached to the button.
6.	Trace shape of backplate on felt; cut out. Set aside.
7.	Snap backplate to button with imprint facing you. If backplate is difficult to snap on, use end of thread spool to snap backplate in place (Figure 5).
8.	Hot glue ruffled trim to back of button. Start at top and work around edge of button (Figure 6). Overlap ends of ruffle.
9.	Hot glue felt to back of button.
Decorative Stitching Ideas
	Share your creative handwork with others by stitching a special message or design just for them. Do your stitching on plain fabric and then display it on a covered button that can be turned into a Christmas ornament, pin or earrings. Tip: When making jewelry, remove shank with pliers before covering button. Attach backplate. Glue pinback or earring post near top of button to prevent it from falling forward when wearing it. Use a heavy duty, clear drying glue.
Programmed Stitching
	Use the letters and numbers on your sewing machine to create personalized messages or stitch rows of decorative stitches with metallic thread.
Machine Embroidery
	If your machine comes with programmed embroidery designs, you will find that many of these designs fit on the large 2½" button. For best results, fuse a non-woven interfacing to wrong side of fabric and use a tear away stabilizer when stitching.
Counted Cross Stitch
	Stitch a small design on an even-weave fabric and then cover your button.
Hand Embroidery
	Stitch holiday designs and messages on fabric; then cover button. When doing embroidery, stitch design on a large piece of fabric and then cut circle to fit button.

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Figure 1: Removing wire shank from back of button cover.

Figure 2: Pattern on fabric

Figure 3: Working from side to side and top to bottom, hook fabric onto teeth.

Figure 4: Fold soutache braid in half and hook ends of braid into teeth at top of button.

Figure 5: If backplate is difficult to snap on, use end of thread spool to snap backplate in place.

Figure 6: Hot glue ruffled trim to back of button. Start at top and work around edge of button.

Helpful Tips

Button Talk
	Dritz Covered Buttons are available in half ball and flat shapes with a shank to the back of the button for sewing it in place. Flat buttons are generally used in home decorating for furniture and pillows. The half ball buttons are used for clothing, jewelry, and wearable art and button accents. Dritz Cover Buttons range in size form ¼" inch to as large as 2½"inches.
Covering Buttons
	Buttons can be covered with just about any type of fabric - fake fur, tissue lame, taffeta, corduroy, velvet and brocade. Use pattern printed on back of package for cutting fabric circle. For knits and heavy fabric, cut fabric circle slightly smaller than pattern on package. For pile fabrics, such as fake fur, velvet and velveteen, trim pile away from edge of fabric circle before covering button. For delicate and loosely-woven fabrics, apply Fray Check™ to edge of fabric circle. Allow to dry before covering button. Reinforce knits and slippery fabrics with a lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing. For sheer fabrics, use two or three layers of self-fabric or lining fabric to prevent shadow-through of button shell. For woven or heavy weight fabric, wet fabric and apply wet. Use a pencil eraser to help catch fabric on teeth around edge of button. If backplate is difficult to attach, use end of thread spool to snap backplate in place.
Button Pins
	Buttons pins look like safety pins with a loop in the back. The loop slides through the fabric and the shank of the button, holding it in place. Use Dritz Button Pins to make buttons "removable and interchangeable."
Button Covers
	Dritz Button Covers are plain gold tone covers that slip over standard size shirt buttons. The top of the button cover can be decorated with all types of embellishments from ribbons to rhinestone.

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