friendship garland

My daughter has so many cute friends, but unfortunately not many of them live close to us.

I decided to make her something to help her feel closer to her girlfriends that live far away.  I saw a paper doll garland on Pintrest that sparked an idea.

This garland was super simple and cheap to make.  The most expensive part was the fabric stiffener I used to make the dolls stand upright.  I used scraps of fabric for the dresses.  One important thing, as I have said before, is to use good felt. I have a local quilt shop that sells quality felt. Search one out. It will make a lot of difference in your end product.

Top roll:

Charley, Patterson, Ivy

Bottom roll:

Eloise, Amelie, Emerson

button bracelet tutorial

I've been totally slammed in such a happy, happy way with jewelry orders. My bff Jenny is coming to my rescue. She will be over later today with her sewing machine and nimble fingers. I'm putting her to work.

That's the thing I love most about Jenny. She's true blue through and through. She's always there when I'm in a pinch.

I made her this valentine. Andre the Greek and Sugar Daddy have been doing a lot of squid fishing as of late and I had sea creatures on the brain so I drew us as jellies.


And then I had the bright idea to make a bracelet to go along with it because, you know, I have soooo much extra time on my hands. It, of course had to be blue to match the card, with one pink button for quirkiness.

And then I thought I should do a tutorial about these button bracelets because they are a super fun and cheap project that you can do with kids and they make really great Valentine gifts.

So here it is, because I have soooo much extra time on my hands.

Supplies:

For a standard 7 1/2 bracelet you will need fifteen or so buttons, fifteen or so jump rings at least 8mm in diameter, a clasp, flat nose pliers. You can find all these things at your local craft store. Or if you are super lucky, you can snatch some vintage buttons out of your grandma's button jar. (I'm not that lucky)

Step 1:
The golden rule to jump rings is "don't pull- twist". If you pull them apart you won't be able to get them back into shape. Instead hold one side with one hand and then grasp the other side with your pliers and twist.

Thread the jump ring through one of the button holes.

Step 2:

Add two buttons on each jump ring so that you form a chain.

Keep going until you reach your desired length and then add on one more jump ring to one end and a clasp to the other.

Simple simple simple. This is a really great crafts for kids and all you need to do to make your bracelet more mature is to use fancier buttons. It is extra special if you can add a button off a loved ones clothing. Baby buttons are ridiculously cute. Give it a go and let me see your finished projects!

FYI: I will be adding a few more items into my shop later today and into the weekend.

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