Quick Craft: Button Magnets

 

Magazines prod us to purge and get organized in January, but I'm usually still recovering from the holidays then. The last thing I want to do after baking a hundred cakes and pies, wrapping what feels like 3000 gifts, and doing, doing, doing is color code the sock drawers. Instead, the urge takes over in the spring, just as the days start to feel longer and I get a little more energy. But I'm a firm believer that organization should be pretty, whenever possible.  Just a little effort here and there can make the whole process feel almost pleasant.

This is one of those small projects that please me. I was tired of digging through my drawers looking for yet another ugly "emergency" magnet, my whiteboard piling up with piece after piece of paper...so I pulled everything down and decided to start fresh. Rule #1: The magnets had to be pretty! Certainly I've seen fabric covered button magnets before, but I wanted a button that was oversized and bold. I found button covering kits at Michaels, with the upholstery and home decor supplies. They're generously sized, super easy to work with, and inspire me to tackle my fabric scrap basket next.  Oh, and you can make them in just a few minutes, so they won't take much out of your day. Here's the how-to:

Materials:

button covering kits
fabric scraps
fabric scissors
pliers
good adhesive or pop-up glue dots (*see note below)
ceramic magnets

 
You'll follow the instructions that come with your particular button covering kit, but this one is from Dritz and couldn't be easier. You cut the template from the back of the package, fold a scrap of fabric in half, and cut around the template. You put the fabric face down in the rubber mold, push the plastic button down into the mold, fold the fabric in, and cover it with the button shank. Push on the front of the rubber mold and the button pops right out. After that, I used pliers to trim as much of the shank as I could. Then I attached a magnet to the back, over the area where I'd trimmed the shank.  And that's it.

*About adhesives: Some button kits are made from plastic and some from metal. If you use a metal based kit, use a glue like the one pictured above. You can also try that one on plastic, but plastic is notoriously difficult to glue anything to. I tried something else instead and it worked well for me. I used pop up glue dots, which you can generally find in the scrapbook sections of craft stores or with specialty tapes and adhesives. The best part about these is that there's no drying time. 

And since I'm organizing, I thought I'd also direct you to some bloggers who've so generously supplied downloads that will keep you organized in style, as well as a few things that I think are just plain fun:

Get Excited and Make Things downloadable print from The Blah, Blah, Blahg

Task List, One Thing, and Healthy Goals List from Baca Creative

Keep Calm and Drink downloadable card from Whisker Graphics

Downloadable labels from The Rubber Punkin

2010 Calendar from Something's Hiding in Here

  

Comments

[Sue Stopford]

Hi Suzanne

Love this idea soo much.

[Whitney @ Whisker Graphics]

Thanks so much for mentioning my Keep Calm and Drink cards and for the lovely tutorial!

I've just discovered your blog and it's now safely tucked in my Google Reader so I won't miss a post!

~peace
Whitney

[Miss B]

Thank you for the mention! Your photo's make me want to go get organized as well:)

xo,

Miss B.

[Suzonne Stirling]

Hi Katie - Thanks for visiting! I'll hop over to your blog and check out what you're up to.

[Tuesday French]

Hi Suzonne,

I have to confess that while I did get the supplies together, The Husband did such a bang-up job with the Black Pearl cocktail, that after tasting it he made one for himself. And then we realized that the house was quiet (one of those rare evenings when our son had not only gone to bed early, but had stayed there - and better yet, the mutt wasn't howling at the moon) so we dropped onto the couch and spent an hour or so talking, sipping and listening to music . . . and Just. Being. (We couldn't remember the last time we'd done that, & you've inspired us to plan time together like that more often - each time trying one of your cocktail recipes). Thank you!

[Katie]

I absolutely love these magnets...I can't wait to make some! I'll be visiting your blog often :)

Katie
moremisadventures.blogspot.com

[Suzonne Stirling]

Thanks, Dee Dee! I can't remember where I got most of the fabrics, but my inspiration started with the polka dot fabric. It's from Amy Butler (amybutlerdesign.com). I love her fabrics!

[Whatever DeeDee Wants]

Those magnets are too cute! I love the pattens you picked out.

[Suzonne Stirling]

Tuesday French - Thank you for spending time here and for taking the time to comment. You made my day!!

And for that liquid glue problem - fine-tip applicators (usually sold alongside glass and ceramic paints). They screw right onto the glue bottle. I couldn't live without them.

[Tuesday French]

Hi Suzonne,

I've never commented on someone's blog before, but I'm always so inspired by your words and your projects that I thought I'd give it a try (deep breath) so here it goes:

I can't wait to surrender the sad little squares of folded scotch tape that have replaced magnets lost to roving toddler hands, a mischievous mutt and otherwise unexplained migration to the underside of the refrigerator. (And not even The Husband is brave enough to go under there).

Thanks for the advice about metal vs plastic button kits and the pop up glue dots - I'm liquid-glue-challenged (seriously, more ends up on the mutt and my son than on the item I'm sealing) and they sound like a great solution. Now to talk The Husband into making me a Black Pearl cocktail while I start some creative organizing!