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Before and After Organize

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As you can see from the above before photo, I can’t even put on the lid to cover the box before stacking it up on the shelf. It is no joke when I need to get a specific ribbon out from the box. I found out I can free up a lot of space by removing the packaging of some of the ribbons. Some packagings especially the spools with big core are simply too bulky to keep. So, I decided to take those out. Then, I need to find a way to keep my ribbon organize and tidy otherwise they will get tangled up after a few digs. This is where the cardboard comes in place to wind them up and keep them in place. A tiny head sewing pins are handy to keep the ends on the winding. Read more after the jump to the second page.

{Get full details on next page.}

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How To Make Fabric Covered Button With Ric Rac On It

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Since July 4th is less than a month away, I am swirled in getting my button done in red-white-blue theme. Don’t call me patriot, I am not an American and I am not living in USA either, but, I have to confess that I always wanted a chance to have a short term stay abroad, USA is on the top of the list of my dream countries. Actually, I make them with only 1 simple reason: because I love these colors.

I found some scrap fabrics of white star with blue background in my fabric scrap which is so perfect for my idea. Then, I hollowed out my lace/ribbon storage box and found a short length of mini red ric rac that I am going to experiment with, excite!!!! The result in less than 30 minutes…… little cute red-white-blue buttons with star pattern and red ric rac on top…. I can either pin or sew on my tote bag.

Variations:
Instead of using the button as a “button” only, you can make them into:
(some of these need either to remove or to bend the button shank in order to attach better)
1. Hair band: Tie the elastic on the shank
2. Hair pin: Glue the button on bobby pin or barrette
3. Headband: Sew or glue some buttons on the headband
4. Bookmark/paper clip: Glue the button on a big paper clip
5. Fridge Magnet: Glue the button on a magnet
6. Brooch: change the shank to a brooch pin
and more….

Materials:
1. Fabric scrap
2. Ric rac or soft lace or ribbon

Tools:
1. Button maker of your preferred size, mine is 1″
2. Scissors
3. Tacky glue or craft glue
4. Pencil or compass (to draw circle on the fabric)

Cover button maker comes in 2 parts, a white rubber mold and a blue plastic pusher.
Button comes in 2 parts too, a metal cap and a metal backing with a shank.
Mark a circle on the wrong side of the fabric with the given template from the button maker. If the button maker kit comes without the template, use a compass to draw a circle of 1″ + the diameter of the button, eg. if your button is 1″, mark a 2″ circle, if your button is 2″, mark a 3″ circle and so on.
Cut a short length of ric rac. The length is about the same length of the fabric circle’s diameter.

In order for the ric rac to stay in place, tack it with some tacky glue or craft glue. If you use craft glue, you need to set it aside to wait for a few minutes until the glue gets tacky.

Place the ric rac on the fabric circle, within the button’s range. use your hand to press the ric rac so that it sticks properly on the fabric.
Position the button’s metal cap at the center but wrong side of the fabric circle. A small tiny dip of tacky glue could come handy to hold the position but it is optional.
Insert both fabric and metal cap into the rubber mold.
Tuck in all the fabric into the mold neatly. If you find that the fabric is too bulky to tuck in especially those with thick texture, trim to make it less bulky.
Place the metal backing / shank plate onto the mold and make sure all fabric is under the backing plate.
Place the blue plastic pusher onto them, with close-end facing up.
Press with thumb or palm to push the backing into the mold.
Since this button cover has ric rac, it is more difficult to get the backing plate down, so press harder.
Remove the plastic pusher and inspect the work. The backing plate should go all the way into the cap firmly and evenly.
Remove the cover button from the rubber mold.
Repeat the process for the rest of the buttons….
Super easy and quick, right!!!

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Easy Ribbon & Button Headband

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Prepare the following materials (add or change color to your own taste) & tools:
Materials:
1. 3/16″ (or 5mm) headband, white
2. 3/16″ ribbon -1′, red
3. 1/2″ ribbon – 4″, red
4. 1/2″ 4-hole button – 3 white, 3 red
Tools:
1. Hot glue gun (switch on about 15 minutes before your project starts)
2. Scissors
3. Marker

Mark lightly the point that you want the ribbon to end. Mark the same on the other side and make sure they are at the same level.
I did mine at 3″ from bottom.

Check if your hot glue gun is ready by inserting the glue tube into it, press the trigger a few times until a smooth flow of glue gets out from the tip. If you find that it is difficult to press the trigger or the glue appear to be sticky, wait a few more minutes for the gun to get hotter.
Dip a few drops of glue on the top of the headband, quickly attach the ribbon onto it, press until it stick well.
Do a few drops at a time since the glue gets harden pretty fast.

Cut a short length to bind the end.              
Glue it.

Fold both ends of the 4″ long 1/2″ red ribbon to the center to make a 2″ ribbon bow.
Dip a drop of glue at the center, press to glue them.

Attached the ribbon bow onto the headband, off center or about 1 1/2″ from the center of the headband.

Glue 2 button on the ribbon bow, with white at the bottom.

Finished off with another 4 buttons on the side of the headband.