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Pretty earrings made from a pair of buttons
'Cute as a Button' Earrings tutorial, using size 11 Delica beads, seed beads, buttons, crystals and drop beads.

Posted by Donna S. Published See Donna S.'s 7 projects »
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  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 1
    Step 1

    Glue the button onto your foundation fabric (Laceys Stiff Stuff). Once it is dry thread the needle with a comfortable length of thread, tie a knot in the end, and stitch through the holes in the button to make sure it is firmly attached.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 2
    Step 2

    Bring the needle up through the fabric at the side of the button. Pick up 2A, take them down the thread and lay them on the fabric around the side of the button. Take the needle back down through the fabric where the beads end.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 3
    Step 3

    Bring the needle up through the fabric once more, between the two beads just added. Go through the 2nd bead again. This is known as beaded backstitch.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 4
    Step 4

    Continue around the button in beaded backstitch until you have a row of beads all the way around the edge. Run the needle through all the beads again to straighten and tighten them. Work the needle through to the back of the fabric and tie a knot to hold it securely then work through to the front of the fabric once more, right at the side of the row of beads. Trim the fabric around the edge of the beads, taking care not to cut the thread.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 5
    Step 5

    Glue the fabric to a piece of ultrasuede and leave to dry. Trim the ultrasuede to about 1mm outside the edge of the fabric.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 6
    Step 6

    Pick up 2C and take the needle through the ultrasuede and through the foundation, from back to front at the side of the row of beads.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 7
    Step 7

    Go through the 2nd C bead in the opposite direction to before and pull the thread tight.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 8
    Step 8

    The C beads should now be sitting with their holes facing outwards.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 9
    Step 9

    Pick up 1C and go through both layers of fabric from back to front a little way further round the edge, then through the C bead in the opposite direction, as before.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 10
    Step 10

    Continue all around the edge in the same way until you reach the end. Join the last C bead to the first.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 11
    Step 11

    Work through the beads so that you are exiting one of the middle pair of C beads at the top of the button.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 12
    Step 12

    Pick up 7B and an earwire and go through the next C bead to form a loop. Retrace the thread path to reinforce the loop then work through to exit the C bead 4 from the centre along the bottom edge.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 13
    Step 13

    Pick up 8C, 1A, 1C, 1A, 1D, 1A, 2B, 1E and 1B. Skip the 1E and the first of the 2B and go back through the other B, 1A, 1D, 1A, 1C, 1A and 8C and back through the edge C you exited from. Make sure you don’t pull the thread too tight at this stage as your fringe will not be able to swing freely.

  • Step 14

    Repeat step 13 starting with 7C.

  • Step 15

    Repeat step 13 starting with 6C.

  • Step 16

    Repeat step 13 starting with 5C.

  • Step 17

    Repeat step 13 starting with 6C.

  • Step 18

    Repeat step 13 starting with 7C.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 19
    Step 19

    Repeat step 13 starting with 8C.

    You should now have a 7 strand fringe along the bottom edge.

  • How to make a pair of button earrings. Cute As A Button Earrings - Step 20
    Step 20

    Work back through a few beads and finish off the thread end.

    Repeat steps 1 – 19 to make a 2nd earring.

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