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How to Restyle a T-Shirt into a Ruffly Cardigan

Upcycle Ugly Buttons into Pretty Coasters

January 21st, 2009 in patterns & designs, restyle, crochet

Linda Permann, contributor

20 users recommend

Weave in all of your ends, and youve got one brilliant coaster and seven fewer ugly buttons in your stash.

Here are all of the materials youll need to get started.

Work the first two rounds of the pattern, then add two rounds of single crochet (as indicated).

Weave in all of your ends, and you've got one brilliant coaster and seven fewer ugly buttons in your stash.

Photo: Linda Permann

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I have a button-collecting habit, and I have it bad. But inevitably I get lots of not-so-great buttons with the desirable ones when I buy button lots. I can't help but hang on to them, thinking I'll do something with them...one day. It was when I was looking at some crochet cotton I acquired from my grandma and thinking of bottle-cap trivets (like this one) that I came up with the idea to use my buttons instead. You can definitely make this with bottle caps too—but for me, that would mean buying a lot of glass bottles (which aren't recyclable in my town) just to get the caps. For me, this was the perfect solution.

Here are all of the materials you'll need to get started.

You'll need:

Assorted size 10 crochet cotton thread or other lace-weight yarn
Seven 1-1/8-inch to 1-1/4-inch buttons per coaster (if you want to change the size up, see my tutorial on covering buttons)
Size D, 3.25-mm crochet hook
Yarn needle

Work the first two rounds of the pattern (written below), then add two rounds of single crochet (as indicated).

Abbreviations:
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
dc: double crochet
hdc2tog half double crochet 2 together: (insert hook in next stitch, yarn over, and draw up a loop) twice, yarn over, and draw through all three loops

Button Covers Pattern
Round 1: Ch 4, 9 dc in 4th chain from hook, sl st in top of beginning ch to join—10 dc.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as hdc), hdc in first sp between stitches, *2 hdc in sp between next 2 stitches; repeat from * around, sl st in top of beginning ch to join—20 hdc.
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each sc, sl st in top of first single crochet to join—20 sc.
Round 4: Repeat round 3. Place button inside crochet work.
Round 5: Ch 2, *hdc2tog over next 2 stitches; repeat from * around—10 hdc.

Insert the button before you work the hdc decrease round. To make an hdc decrease, you'll (insert your hook in the next stitch, yarn over, and draw up a loop) twice, yarn over, and pull through all of the loops on your hook. This will tighten the back of the crochet cover.

After you've fastened off, cut the yarn end, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail back and forth through the stitches of the last round on the back side of the button to close it up.

Arrange your covered buttons as shown (or as desired—you can add more to make a bigger coaster).

Sew two of the buttons together along one side. Thread the tail end of one button through the yarn needle and work it through to the edge of the button (back side), then through the edge of the second button, and back into the first button.

Next, sew both buttons to the center button. Repeat for all buttons, sewing each pair to the center and to the button on each side of the button pair.

Weave in all of your ends, and you've got one brilliant coaster and seven fewer ugly buttons in your stash.

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posted in: patterns & designs, restyle, crochet, buttons, recycle, DIY

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Comments (10)

CarlaT writes: Very nice I will try this one
Posted: 10:14 am on March 30th

beaderonboard writes: What a great way to upcycle ugly buttons.
Can't wait to give it a try.
Like you I can't get that button collecting monkey off of my back.
Thank you for sharing.
Posted: 3:22 pm on March 22nd

bbc53 writes: Love this! I'm thinking necklaces and earrings!
Posted: 8:57 am on March 1st

adooki writes: A great idea, now i know what to do with all my unloved (ugly) buttons. Thanks
Posted: 3:38 pm on February 10th

LindaPermann writes: MissMae-
Yep, I'd definitely skip this for a hot pad just since the buttons might melt. But for a table mat/centerpiece or anything else that's not hot, this would work great. Or just call the hot pad "decorative" and go for it.

Posted: 10:42 pm on January 24th

MissMae writes: I just had to comment about making coasters by crocheting over buttons. It brought back the memory of a a bunch of grapes my mother made by covering pop bottle caps with purple crochet thread then sewing them together to look like a bunch of grapes.

I always wanted to duplicate that bunch of grapes but have never had the bottle caps. Can't believe I didn't once think of buttons, because I, too, love buttons and never abandon a homeless or homely one.

Though buttons wouldn't do well for a hot pad, smaller ones could make cute coasters.

Thanks for sharing such a great idea. Love it!
Posted: 9:56 pm on January 24th

TinaSparkles writes: I love the idea of covering buttons with crochet....thanks for the pattern!
Posted: 10:47 am on January 23rd

dazismazi writes: Thanks for the idea and pattern. I have been needing coasters for ages now,but haven't been able to find any I like in the right colors. Now I can just make my own!
Posted: 9:54 pm on January 21st

croqzine writes: What a cool idea! Very nice!
Posted: 12:50 pm on January 21st

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