Creating fun and stylish wearables from buttons has been more than a hobby of mine for more than ten years. I'd like to share some tips with customers and potential customers to provide the best results with the findings I have available to sell on eBay and Etsy.

Before the cutting starts however, I will always recommend learning about the buttons you intend to use. Some have more value in and of themselves than they could attain being part of a finished design piece. Visit my Button Workshop to learn more.

E6000 craft adhesive, cutters for button shanks and craft pliers.

A small screw driver works well for applying glue. It's best not to have much contact with the glue on your skin.

Also, work in a well ventilated area

   Select buttons of the size that will work well with your bracelet style.    You can apply the glue to the bracelet pad or the button, depending on the shape of the button. Try not to have lots of glue flowing onto the edges of the pad where it would be visible on the front of the item, or over the edge of the pad where it will be visible on the reverse.     A trick for applying larger buttons to make a chunkier style is to fit one button on to two gluing pads.     Stacking buttons gives an interesting effect.        A completed creation.    

The best preparation you can do to the buttons is to have as level a surface area as you can manage. Remove shanks with cutters. then sand. I use a dremel with specific attachments. Rounded or dome backs don't do well.

 

As for the glue, I have found that the E6000 is the most consistantly used glue by many of the jewelry artists I have come in contact with.

Yes, There is sometimes loss, I always guarantee and replace any loss to customers who buy my finished jewelry items. Very few have come back for repairs.

The tricks to a better hold are:

• surfaces meeting without air pockets.
• no oil from your hands on the two surfaces. (clean with alcohol if the findings have been handled too much.
• Textured surfaces... rough up with a very fine sand paper if necessary. Dry with added heat...like a heating pad. Sometimes no matter what you do... some buttons won't stay.
• make sure there is enough gluing surface on the button...and that the button is smooth and level.

If you are not sure a specific button will work well, try gluing  a couple buttons to 'test' If you have a heating pad, put it on a safe surface and let the bracelet dry on it overnight. Then check the grip of the finished button by gently trying to remove it the next day. If it has good contact, it won't budge. If it comes off easily, then you will know it won't work. The good thing about the E6000 is that once you break the seal of a glued item, it will all peel off fairly easily...like rubber. You can either, then try some different buttons or re-glue.

 

Best wishes for success with your projects. 

Clare...abuttonlady

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