Button Bracelets

From my book, Hip to Bead (Interweave Press 2006)

Button bracelets are fun because they're easy to make and they can be so different, depending on the materials you use. Here's a funky one that uses vintage buttons from my stash along with new craft store finds. First, you use wire nippers to cut off any shanks on the back of the buttons. Then, you adhere the buttons to the blank bracelet using epoxy. After the buttons dry, cover any button holes with a flatback crystal or a smaller button.

gluable bracelet from Rings 'n Things

You can also glue other items to this type of bracelet, of course. I had some Jangles discs and on-hand, so I whipped up this colorful little number...


Each disc has a hole in the center, so I cut the backs off of some travel-themed brads and used them to cover holes. For larger pieces like these disks, it helps to use a blank bracelet that has larger spaces between the pads.

gluable bracelet from Rings 'n Things

Scrabble tiles or other game pieces would make fun additions, as would filigree or other flat objects. Melanie from Earthenwood Studio made a bracelet featuring her adorable baby moon faces, and then she transformed a similar bracelet into a necklace for a completely different look. Candie Cooper dug out her button stash and created a fun twist on this perennial favorite.