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How to Embellish a T-Shirt with Embroidery and Buttons

How to Make a Stacked-Button Necklace

kayte terry, contributor

12 users recommend

My finished necklace!

Kayte Terry

Make piles of different-sized buttons.

Kayte Terry

My finished earrings!

Kayte Terry

My finished necklace!

Photo: Kayte Terry

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I spend a lot of time trolling around eBay, looking for good craft lots. Often I buy several hundred buttons at once! Now, usually there are some really special buttons hiding in these button lots, but for the most part, the stash is filled with your standard pearl buttons. I recently got one such button lot in the mail and thought, "Hmmm...what to do with these boring buttons?" That's when I had my aha moment: Stack them up! These accessories are super-simple to make and fun to wear. You can make them in pretty much any color you would like depending on your button assortment.

What you'll need for the necklace:

• About 22 inches of beading thread (you can make a longer or shorter necklace as desired)
• Two bead tips
• About 160 buttons from very small to large
• Needle
• Jewelry glue
• Pliers
• Two jump rings
• One clasp

To make the necklace:

1. Tie a knot close to the end of your thread, and add a bead tip with the open part of the bead tip facing the knot. Make another knot directly above the other side of the bead tip.

Make piles of different-sized buttons.

2. Separate your buttons into piles by size. I had tons of white, pearl, and off-white buttons, so I chose to use these and add a bit of random bling with some gold beads. Make sure you have an even number of all your buttons as you will be splitting them up to go on either side of the necklace.

After you add the bead tip, start threading on buttons. It doesn't matter which hole you thread the buttons on.

3. Start with the smallest buttons: Thread a needle onto the beading thread, and use this to thread half of the buttons onto the necklace. Since buttons have pretty big holes, you don't need to worry about using a beading needle.

I kept my color design sort of random, but if you want to you can plan out your colors a bit more.

4. Move on to the next size, threading half the buttons on, and continue until you reach the largest button. I used three large buttons for the center of the necklace and then started working my way down to the smallest buttons again.

5. Tie a knot at the end of the necklace, thread another bead tip on, with the halves facing outward. Tie another knot inside the tip. Clip the thread above the knot. Add a drop of jewelry glue inside the bead tip and use pliers to close the tip. Repeat for the other bead tip.

6. Add jump rings to both bead-tip hooks and close the hooks with pliers. Open one jump ring and add a clasp.

My finished necklace!

What you'll need for the earrings:

• Four small sequins or sead beads
• Four headpins
• 26 to 30 buttons in different sizes
• Wire cutters
• Two jump rings
• Pliers
• Two earring wires

To make the earrings:

I used small white sequins to start the earrings since the button holes are a little large for a headpin.

1. Add one sequin or seed bead to two headpins. I like to use a sequin because you can't see it at all under the buttons.

After you have added all your buttons, trim the headpins with wire cutters.

2. Starting with the largest button, "thread" the two headpins through the button holes so the button lies flat against the sequins. Continue threading on buttons until you get to the smallest size.

3. Trim the headpins with the wire cutters. Add a jump ring to both headpins, and use your pliers to close the headpins over the jump ring. Open the jump ring and add an earring wire.

4. Repeat to make the other earring.

My finished earrings!

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Button Necklace...
swinginmartinis

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Comments (5)

ojosdelaluna writes: i really love this idea.
Posted: 6:31 pm on May 30th

swinginmartinis writes: I was so inspired by this that I went on an ebay quest and found lots of plastic buttons and of Mother of Pearl Buttons. I thought the Mother of Pearl Buttons would look great stacked, but it's the tops, not the sides of those buttons that look so pretty. I was able to use those in another project, but am still putting together the best plastic buttons for this great idea!
Rock on lady!
Posted: 5:22 pm on May 1st

Plushmaven writes: I love this & just think with Diane Gilleland's nifty button painting tips you could use all your bland white buttons and add some fabulous color. Thanks for the great idea Kayte :)
Posted: 10:01 am on March 30th

CarlaT writes: I like working with button love this idea!
Posted: 9:54 am on March 30th

Silverridge0 writes: As an antiques dealer for years, I've collected thousands of buttons,some ordinary (sorted by colors!) and then some beautiful ones. But you've given me a fresh idea as to what to do with all the mundane ones! I make jewelry, so this is my next project! Summer needs a colorful button necklace, earrings and bracelet! So here goes! Thanks!! Sherry
Posted: 1:37 am on March 28th

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