Button Necklace

Dyed Button Necklace

Designed by Elaine Schmidt

If you're looking for an amazing piece of jewelry that will make a dramatic fashion accent, try making this button necklace. Did you know that Rit will dye buttons? Most buttons are made out of nylon or some type of plastic. Rit is one of the few dyes that will color these materials. Choose your own colors and create a unique design to suit your style.

 

Supplies Needed for Dyeing Buttons

  • Rit Liquid Dye: Apple Green, Purple, Teal, Kelly Green
  • Blumenthal Lansing White Buttons, 54 small buttons (Favorite Findings #402) and 9 large buttons (Favorite Findings #2011)
  • Measuring cup & measuring spoons
  • 4 Foam coffee cups for dyeing buttons
  • 4 Plastic stirring spoons
  • Nylon stringing cord or pearl cotton
  • Paper towels
  • Plastic table cover

Supplies Needed for Necklace:

  • 14 – ½" or 5/8" buttons dyed Apple Green
  • 14 – ½" or 5/8" buttons dyed Purple
  • 14 – ½" or 5/8" buttons dyed Teal
  • 12 – ½" or 5/8" buttons dyed Kelly Green
  • 2 – 1" buttons dyed Apple Green
  • 2 – ¾" buttons dyed Purple
  • 2 – 1" buttons dyed Teal
  • 1 – 1 ½" button dyed Kelly Green
  • 1 – 1" button dyed Purple.
  • 1 – 5/8" button dyed Apple Green
  • 2 yards nylon bead stringing cord or #5 pearl cotton
  • 2 – clam shell bead tips
  • clasp
  • sewing needle (small enough to fit bead tip and eye large enough for cord)
  • clear nail polish or craft glue
  • scissors
  • chain nose pliers

Dyeing Buttons

  1. Cover work surface with plastic table cover.
  2. Dye Preparation: For bright, intense colors, measure and mix ¼ - ½ teaspoon liquid dye with ¼ cup very hot water; stir well. Note: If water is not hot enough (140º F), heat water in the microwave or in a tea kettle. Dye colors listed above. If cups will not hold all the buttons of one color, dye small and large buttons separately.

    Designer Tip: Coffee cups have ridges on the sides, so you can use the lines to easily measure the amount of water you are adding to the dye. Initially add ¼ c. water into a cup and note the level of the water. Use that as your guide for mixing additional dye baths

  3. Immerse white buttons in dye bath for 2 – 10 minutes, depending upon the type of button and the desired color. Stir buttons in dye occasionally.
  4. Rinse buttons, wash in warm soapy water; rinse again. Dry buttons on paper towels.

    If desired, nylon stringing cord or pearl cotton can be dyed to match the buttons. Add 1/8 tsp. salt to the cup. Immerse the cord in the dye or use an eye dropper to place multiple colors on the thread. Wrap in plastic wrap and heat set in the microwave for a minute or less, being careful that temperature is not too high to melt plastic. Rinse and dry on paper towels.

Instructions for Making Necklace:

Note: Necklace shown is approximately 19" long. To make it longer or shorter, add more or less small buttons to each side.

  1. Thread needle with cord. Double the length and knot the ends. Trim any excess. Thread needle through the hole in one bead tip, placing the knot inside the clam shell.
  2. For each side of the necklace you will need 7 each small apple green, purple and teal buttons and 6 small kelly green buttons. From the back of one small apple green button, thread the needle up through one button hole and down through the hole that is diagonally across from it. Push the button up next to the bead tip. This button will be on the right side of the necklace.
  3. From the back of one small purple button, thread the second button onto the cord, pushing it up next to the first button. This button will be on the back side of the necklace.
  4. Similarly, thread a small teal button onto the cord and then thread a small kelly green button. Push each button up the cord so that they lie next to each other. The apple green and teal buttons will be on the right side of the necklace and will overlap the kelly green and purple buttons on the back.
  5. Continue threading this color pattern of buttons onto the cord, ending with a small teal button.
  6. To create the center motif, thread one 1" apple green button onto the cord. Then thread one ¾" purple button and one 1" teal button. The purple button will overlap the apple green and teal buttons.
  7. Center the 5/8" apple green button on top of the 1" purple button and the 1 ½" kelly green buttons. Hold the buttons together and thread them onto the cord as a group. Push the layered button up so that it overlaps the teal button.
  8. Thread the remaining large teal, purple and apple green buttons onto the cord to complete the center motif.
  9. Beginning with a small teal button, thread the remaining small buttons onto the cord, following the color pattern, to complete the remaining half of the necklace.
  10. Thread cord through hole in second bead tip. Tie an overhand knot tightly into the clam shell of the tip. Trim excess.
  11. Add a drop of nail polish or glue to the knots to secure. Close the clam shells with pliers and add the clasp to the ends of the bead tips.

Details