Summer Kids Crafts - Let's Make Flower Button Pins!

tutorial

August 3, 2012

Summer Kids Crafts - Let's Make Flower Button Pins!

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It's summer, the kids are home, sounds like a good time to get crafting! Here's the perfect fun project to do with the kiddos. We all have scraps of fabric, old jeans, worn out books or newspaper that could use a new life, don't we? Well look how the talented Jen Goode created these delightful flower button pins from all those odds and ends!

It's a super easy project that kids would enjoy doing with their friends and a little help of crafty adults. Dyeing can be done outside on a picnic table. They'll have so much fun creating their own art materials by dyeing up fabric, paper and buttons and sharing with their crafty cohorts. You can use whatever fabric scraps and paper pieces you have and then re-purpose them into fantastic pieces of custom wearable art! It's a recipe for a great kid's crafting party, isn't it!

Jen is the owner and “doodler in charge” of JGoode Designs, a Denver-based art and design studio. She specializes in handmade crafts, graphic design and illustration. Jen loves all kinds of color, multi-media, mixing textures and materials to create interesting pieces, often featuring her own illustrations and pattern work.

OK, on to the tutorial...

SUPPLIES:

Rit Liquid Dye: Tangerine, Purple, Aquamarine, Fuchsia, Sunshine Orange
Fabric Scraps, Solid Colors: Cotton, Denim and Linen
Old Book Pages
White Pearl CottonEmbroidery Thread
White Nylon Buttons, Assorted Shapes by ButtonsGaloreandMore.com
Pin Backs
Fabric Glue
Hand Sewing Needle & Scissors
Measuring Cup & Spoons
5 Plastic 2-Cup Bowls for dyeing
Spoon for stirring dye
Rubber Gloves
Plastic Wrap
Paper Towels
Plastic Table Cover

INSTRUCTIONS:

To dye Fabric, Paper & Cotton Thread

Tip: I used the same dye bath to do all my fabric, paper and thread dying. I have enough bowls to do them all at once; however you can use the same bowl to dye each color separately.

1. Cover picnic table or work surface with a plastic table cover.

2. Shake all dye bottles before measuring dye. I used Tangerine, Purple, Aquamarine, Fuchsia and Sunshine Orange. Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix 3 Tablespoons one color dye with 1 cup hot water (140° F); stir well. Pour dye into plastic bowl. Note: If water is not hot enough, heat water in the microwave for 2 minutes.

3. Immerse scraps of fabric, paper and embroidery thread into dye solution; gently stir. Let set for 2 – 5 minutes until desired color is achieved. Remove items and rinse under cool water until water runs clear. Note: When dying paper, make sure to gently rinse to avoid tearing wet paper. Dry on paper towels.

4. Wash fabric scraps and thread in warm soapy water, rinse and dry flat.

5. Repeat process for each color.

To Dye Buttons

For best dyeing results, make sure you use nylon, flat/non-gloss buttons.

1. Wearing rubber gloves, measure and mix 3 Tablespoons dye with ½ cup very hot water in plastic bowl. Immerse buttons in dye mixture and let set for 5 – 15 minutes, until desired color is achieved. Note: If water is not hot enough, heat some water in the microwave or in a tea kettle.

2. Rinse buttons in cool water. Then wash in hot soapy water, rinse and dry on paper towels.

3. Repeat process for each color.

To Make Button Pins

1. Cut out any shapes you’d like to use from fabric and paper. To create more dimension with paper flowers, fold each petal over onto itself and crease.