Saturday, October 3, 2009

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.

12 comments:

  1. omg!! i think they are over priced too!! thank you sooo much!!!!

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  2. Kathryn,
    You could actually market these. I suggest you make a bunch of these and sell them on your etsy. I love them!!! Thanks so much.
    Now I have an additional idea for my scrap chipboard and paper.
    Thanks!
    Vangie

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  3. wow awesome..yes think they are overprice also...great idea

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  4. thanks Kathryn another great idea from you , I be cutting mine on the cricut

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  5. I have to try this! Thanks Kathryn!

    Dawn-Marie

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  6. This is awesome Kathryn! I'm defintely going to use this technique. :)

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  7. Wow, what a fantastic tutorial. Thank you so much for sharing!! I'm so going to give this a go!

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  8. Thank you Kathryn for the explanation! It looks so easy, I will try myself. And you are right, if you make the buttons yourself you can make them the way you want.

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  9. Lovely, Kathryn. I've missed a few of your vids and will now go back and catch up.

    Thanks for a great tip. Have a terrific Sunday!

    -Liz

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  10. Thanks for the awesome comments, everyone! I really appreciate them and I'm glad you were inspired by the tutorial! I had fun making this batch of chipboard buttons and I am sure I will be making more for other projects in the future.

    Have a great weekend!

    ~Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  11. I am soooo gonna try this! Thanks Kathryn- you are so great to share all your wonderful tips with us:) I gain so much by following your blog! Thanks Again, Sarah

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  12. I tried this for use on Hopes Halloween Mini, not too happy "yet"...but we shall see????
    I feel like a stranger overhere. I'm so used to speaking with you all the time at the beach I didn't realize what all i was missing on your blog...it feels good to be back!
    ~Jill

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