Button Bracelets

Recently, I’ve been thinking about button bracelets. My Grandma Pearl use to make them back when I was a child. They were these big, bulky things, crocheted with gold buttons. Although I learned much of my crafting from Grandma Pearl, I did not share her enthusiasm for button bracelets. Jump forward a number of years, uhm, make that a really, really BIG jump, and now I find myself fascinated and in-love with button bracelets. Granted, these are not my grandma’s bracelets, but I was delighted to find out that my grandbabies also thought they were awesome. So, this Sunday, after our Sunday Dinner, we pulled out ONE of my boxes of buttons, made some selections, and within an hours time, everyone had made their own bracelet. Pixie, age 7, had a bit of trouble keeping everything straight, so we worked on one together, with Pixie in charge of the design. I think they turned out lovely. And, if you’re watching Grandma Pearl, I finally made a button bracelet!!!

Materials:
Recycled buttons
.7mm stretchy bead and jewlery cord

Cut a piece of cord at least 6″ longer than your wrist measurement.

Chose your buttons. You can use buttons that have 2 or 4 holes. For this project do not use buttons with shanks. (Shanks are the things that stick out on the back of some buttons. The button hole is in the shank. When they are sewn onto clothes, you do not see any button holes.)

Decide how you want to put your buttons on. You might want to create a pattern or do them random. The size can vary as long as there isn’t a big difference. There will be 2 sides to the bracelet, so if you are doing a pattern, it is every other button that will make up your pattern.

For purposes of this tutorial, I am using a contrasting cotton floss so you can see my work. You will need to use a stretchy cord so you can get it over your hand when you are done.

Start by coming up from the back of your first button and down through the front. You should not need to knot the thread. Just leave yourself a 4″ – 6″ tail. I will refer to this as the front of your bracelet.

Turn the button over so you are looking at the back of the bracelet.

Add your next button in the same manner as the previous, entering from the back, and going down through the front. Position the button so half of the button is overlapping the button under it.

Flip the bracelet back over to the front and add another button in the same manner.

Flip back over to the back and add another button. Notice this 4th button has 4 holes. For 4 holed buttons, thread the cord diagonally through 2 holes. Continue this back and forth until the button fits around your wrist. For a proper fit the cord should not be stretched but you do not want it to slide around on you wrist. There should be an EVEN number of buttons on your bracelet.

To finish off the bracelet, simple tie. To tie the bracelet so the cord does not let go, begin by tying a single know. (demonstrated with embroidery floss)

Next, make a triple knot, sometimes referred to as a surgical know. To make the triple knot begin by tying the knot like normal but before you pull it tight, single knot 2 more times in the same loop. If you are afraid your knot might let loose, which it shouldn’t, go ahead and tie a 2nd surgical knot.

Pull your knot tight, and clip threads leaving them around 1/4″.

Done! Just slide it on and you are good to go!

Pixie’s Bracelet:

Fairy’s bracelet:

Michelle’s bracelet:

 

Photos: 2-16-14, 2-17-14, 2-17-14