Making Chipboard Buttons

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

I've noticed that lately a few manufacturer's have come out with lines of chipboard buttons. I have to admit that I really like the look of these chipboard buttons, but have so far been unwilling to spend my money on them. My scrap budget is fairly limited, so before I buy an embellishment I like to see if I can figure out a way to make something similar from my stash.

The other day I decided to try to make myself some chipboard buttons from supplies on hand, and this is how they turned out:


Made with raw chipboard and patterned papers from Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye and Creative Impressions.


Made with scalloped coaster tiles from Technique Tuesday and patterned paper from Basic Grey.

When you make them yourself instead of buying them, you can also get even more creative and take these embellishments up another notch. Consider adding Glossy Accents for an epoxy look, or glitter or Stickles for some sparkle. You could also stamp a favorite image instead of using patterned paper, the add heat embossing for an even more dimensional look. And, of course, nothing is ever really complete without a little bling!

Okay, so what exactly did I do to create these unique chipboard buttons? It was actually pretty easy. I just needed some paper, glue, a 1/8" hole punch and a strong pair of scissors. For the scalloped circle buttons, I also use a file from the Basic Grey Precision File Set to get the edges really smooth.

1. Gather some chipboard for your buttons and select templates for your circle sizes. I used a Fiskars circle template and actual buttons to trace my circles on the chipboard.



2. Trace and carefully cut out with a good pair of scissors a variety of chipboard circles. I used my Tonic teflon serrated scissors to cut mine. It does an excellent job of cutting even thick chipboard.





3. Mark position of your holes and punch holes using your 1/8" hole punch. I used actual buttons as a template for placing my holes. I used four holes on the larger circles and two holes on the smaller circles.



4. Cover the chipboard with patterned paper, and re-punch the holes. I used my ATG for this step & applied it to the paper. A liquid glue or Mod Podge would also work well here.



5. You can also use scalloped circles or squares instead of plain circles. The possibilities for dressing these up are truly endless!



I hope you found this tutorial useful & that you have fun creating your own unique chipboard buttons!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.