Fabric button jewellery
CostFree to Low
Includes: Self-cover button kits, fabric scraps, jewellery findings, strong glue Example: A pack of self-cover buttons with a mould around €5-8, and earring findings a few euros
What it is
A self-cover button kit, a scrap of patterned fabric, and a small press, and within a minute you have turned a snippet of liberty print or a favourite worn shirt into a glossy domed button you can wear. Fabric-covered button jewellery takes those covered buttons, normally meant for clothing, and mounts them as earrings, rings, brooches, hair clips, cufflinks, and pendants. The fabric becomes the jewel.
The charm is sentiment and thrift in equal measure. A square of fabric the size of a coin is all each button needs, so offcuts, old clothes, a grandmother's dress, a child's outgrown shirt, all become wearable keepsakes. The patterns do the design work, so a beginner with no drawing or metalworking skill can produce something that looks considered, simply by choosing good fabric and a flattering size.
The mechanics are almost foolproof thanks to self-cover button kits. These come as a two-part metal button, a shell and a back, with a little plastic mould and pusher that wrap the fabric tightly over the dome and snap the back on. From there it is just gluing or attaching the right finding, an earring post, a ring blank, a brooch bar, to turn the button into a piece of jewellery.
It is a gateway craft, cheap, fast, and endlessly variable, that suits markets and gifts and uses up the smallest fabric scraps you would never otherwise use.
How it works
Choose tightly woven cotton and cut your fabric circles a touch larger than the guide suggests, because loose weave and skimpy fabric are the two things that ruin a covered button. A firm quilting cotton or a fine shirting holds the dome shape and grips in the mould, while stretchy or loose fabric slips and wrinkles. Cut the circle generously so there is enough to gather fully over the back, since too little leaves the metal showing at the edge.
Use the self-cover kit mould rather than wrestling the fabric by hand. Lay the fabric circle right-side down into the rubber mould, press the button shell dome down into it, tuck the fabric edges neatly into the centre all the way round, then place the metal back on top and push it down firmly with the pusher until it snaps home. Even tucking is what gives a smooth dome, so take a few extra seconds folding the fabric evenly before snapping the back on.
Then attach the right finding for the piece. For earrings, glue the covered button to a flat-pad earring post with a strong jewellery glue like E6000, for a ring use a flat-pad ring blank, and for a brooch a bar back. If your button has a wire shank on the back, snip it off flat first so it glues cleanly to a flat finding.
Let glued findings cure fully before wearing, ideally overnight.
Benefits
What you need
Here's what to gather before you start. The essentials are marked.
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FAQs
Tightly woven cotton, such as quilting cotton or fine shirting. The self-cover mould grips the fabric and pulls it taut over the dome, so a firm weave holds a smooth shape, while stretchy knits and loose-weave fabrics slip out of the teeth and wrinkle. Small all-over patterns and prints look especially good at button scale. Sentimental fabrics like old shirts work beautifully provided they are reasonably firm and not too thick to tuck under the back.
Glue it to a flat-pad finding with strong jewellery glue. If the button has a wire shank on the back, snip it off flush first so the back is flat, then bond it to a flat-pad earring post, ring blank, or brooch bar using a glue like E6000. Apply a small even amount, press firmly, and let it cure fully, ideally overnight, before wearing so the join is properly strong.
You cut the fabric circle too small. There needs to be enough fabric to wrap fully over the dome and tuck right into the centre of the back, so cut the circle a little larger than the kit's guide. Tucking the edges in evenly all the way round before snapping on the back also prevents bare patches and wrinkles. A slightly generous, evenly gathered circle gives full, smooth coverage every time.
Yes, the per-piece cost is very low. Each button uses only a coin-sized fabric scrap, and self-cover buttons and findings are inexpensive in bulk, so material cost per pair of earrings is often well under a euro. The speed of assembly also helps, since you can make many quickly. Many people sell fabric button jewellery at craft markets precisely because it combines low cost, fast production, and broad appeal.
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