Dye Up A Sweet Button Wreath

Got a tin of buttons? Well, you can make a fun button-craft like this sweet, mini holiday wreath. Most buttons are made from a nylon-based plastic and can be easily dyed to any color you like. Oh, the possibilities! I chose varying shades of greens and teals for a happy, little wreath. I think it came out rather cute, don't you?

Here's how you can make one too...

SUPPLIES:

• Rit Liquid Dyes: Kelly Green, Teal, Lemon Yellow, Dark Green
• Blumenthal Lansing White "Big Bag of Buttons"
• 6" Flat Wooden Wreath Form
• Decorative Dried Berry Accents
• 1 Yd Ribbon
• 1 Cup Plastic Deli Container
• Plastic Spoon/Fork
• Measuring Cup/Spoons
• Hot Glue Gun
• Rubber Gloves
• Plastic Table Cover

INTRUCTIONS:

1) Cover your work surface with plastic and grab some rubber gloves.

2) The buttons were dyed in 4 batches using these directions for each batch. Shake, measure and mix 2 Tablespoons of dye with 1 cup of very hot 140˚F water. Immerse a handful of buttons in the dye and stir to make sure the dye aborbs evenly. Check the color and remove when you like the shade. You can leave some in the dye bath longer for more variation in shade. You can even redip some buttons in a new color for a blended shade. Just have fun with it. You can rinse out the plastic container to reuse it for the next batch of color.

Here's the batches used for this wreath...

• First batch:       2 Tbsp Kelly Green
• Second batch:  2 Tbsp Teal
• Third batch:      1 Tbsp Kelly Green + 1 Tbsp Dark Green
• Fourth batch:    1 Tbsp Kelly Green + 1 Tbsp Lemon Yellow

3) Rinse and dry the buttons.

4) Start glueing the buttons to the wreath form randomly making sure to cover the outer edges of the wreath form.

5) Continue glueing a second and third layer of buttons, sometimes adding two layers stacked together for a nice effect.

6) When you like the way the buttons look, glue decorative red berries randomly to accent the wreath.

7) OK, just tie a ribbon bow and maybe an extra button accent in the center and you're ready to hang your mini beauty.