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Tuesday 25 September 2012

Ta-dah! Tuesday - Minute Make - Button earrings

I'm usually a big believer in large earrings, but occasionally one's lobes need a rest. Whilst I'm intrigued by body modification, the stretched ear look is not really my bag, so very occasionally I have a break from the dangle. I'd had these mother of pearl star shaped buttons knocking around for a while, and decided they might as well adorn me as anything else. Thirty seconds of heating up a glue gun and I had one pair and was looking through my button tin for more appealing designs.

The cards say you'll be making new earrings. Or possibly being attacked by crayfish whilst bathing in the nude. Hard to say.


These are the type of earring posts you need. 6mm with flat pad and a scroll back. I recommend at least silver plate unless you want manky green ears. They're around £3 for 25 pairs, so you can make plenty for friends.




You'll want to make sure that no hot glue squeezes through the holes to the front of the button when you're attaching the backs, or you'll be left with unattractive hard glue 'bobbles' when it dries. To stop this happening, squish the button down firmly on a blob of blu-tack - hard enough to leave its imprint. Then do your glueing, allow to dry, and remove from the blu-tack. Ta-dah! Perfectly preserved.

I did make some drop earrings too. I bought these coconut shell heart buttons on ebay with the express purpose of turning them into earrings. You just need to add two jump rings and an earring wire.


Happily, they weigh a lot less than an actual coconut, so there's little chance of ending up like this:

Yes, yes, differing cultural ideals of beauty blah blah blah. But kittens could swing off those.

What you been up to? Link up!
Oh, and thank you for the most edifying response to my silly poems.

Lakota x

Other easy-peasy jewellery posts here:
Plectrum earrings
£20 note bangle
Nail varnish rings
Lego heart necklace

38 comments:

  1. Love your earrings - so dainty! The little button heart ones are very pretty.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  2. I've said it many times before but you are a goddamn genius. Those earrings are magnificent, they really are. I may have to copy. xx

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  3. Fab post Lakota! Such pretty earrings!
    Victoria xx

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  4. Goodness me. I wasn't sure how long i would have to scroll down!!! Love the
    MOP stars. Very pretty.

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  5. Those are just fab..my favorite one is the heart pair.
    I laughed at the bit about the fortune cards..though just to be on the safe side I am staying away from crayfish today :P
    Magie x

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  6. Love the earings not to keen on the dangly ear photo though lol x

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  7. Everything nice I was going to say about your cute earrings flew out the window when I saw the old dame with the stretchy bottles. Ew!

    ps, actually really cool idea. :)

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  8. Wooooooa, all those long hanging earrings!!!! I made a pair of heart button earrings just like that!!!!! The pearly ones are lovely!

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  9. So cute! I've never made earrings but I think I could manage a pair like these x

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  10. So simple and so sweet and what a use for all those old buttons. The lady at the end frightens me and those ear lobes are only good for jumping rope.
    XXOO
    Krista

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  11. I am wearing button earrings I made a couple years ago right this minute. I love them because they are black and go with whatever. They are pretty much my go-to earrings. *hahaha*

    The ones you made are really cute. I like the stars.

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  12. Very cute. I had a pair of wooden button earrings I loved ages ago (shop bought though). Really must invest in a good glue gun!

    Jo

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  13. I love your earrings, and especially the blu-tack tip...I shall use that in future!

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  14. Lovely earrings, the heart ones are gorgeous. Such a great idea, and I've over 200 little flower shaped shell buttons - slight ordering mistake....

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  15. The crayfish comment made me snort a little bit of iced coffee out of my nose. GORGEOUS earrings, cleverpants!

    Sarah xxx

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  16. Fuck me I nearly spat tea all over my screen!!!! I should know better and ensure there are no liquids around when I'm reading your posts heheeeeee!!! I think I'm going to have to wear clip-ons for a while, at least until I manage to get the stretched-ear image out of my brain. I love your button earrings AND I love your tarot cards - hmmmmmm tarot card earrings? Light AND huge:))). Thanks for the blu tac tip, I haven't bought anything, done much this past week - however The Stylist and I have been working very hard on throat infections and general snotification. I won't kiss you, just hugs, you'll thank me later oooooooooooooooo

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  17. I'm a sucker for star shapes, so am hankering after the first pair. Very clever blu-tack tip. I used to make the most ridiculous dangly earrings in the 80s -- plastic dinosaurs, large bunches of plastic grapes. Tacky, yes, but then that pretty much describes the 80s.

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  18. I agree with Lou, you are a goddamn genius! What a brilliant idea. I've got some 1950s buttons the size of dinner plates crying out for a conversion.
    Thank goodness some's reading the cards now La Dama's off large-ing it in Cali! xxx

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  19. The holes in my ears suffered a little from heavy 1980s earrings, though thankfully not to the extent of dragging my earlobes past my shoulders!
    As usual, your skills and creativity are inspiring, such lovely earrings.
    Watch out for crayfish!
    Oh and I've linked - my first ever! Haven't done anything except get out of bed, but that's a start, right?! xxx

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  20. Gorgeous earrings. I have about a zillion buttons at home, just need to find two that match! xx

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  21. I'm not much for massive danglers (ooh, errr!) so these are right up my street - love your makers! Especially the little blue lovelies :-)

    Jem xXx

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  22. I want some!! I'll have to give it a go. You're great at this sort of thing xx

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  23. Wandered over from the fab Vix--what a cool idea--I've got buttons GALORE that could use a new life. Plus what else do I have--I originally thought they were dice you were making earrings out of !

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  24. Oh my! thank you for the tips on using the blu tack to stop the glue coming out from the holes! love the star shaped and the heart coconut shell buttons u used! i will go blog hopping to see what other bloggers' posts for ta dah tuesday! gotta make dinner first though.. ;)

    xx susan

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  25. Oh dear lord, that last photo has turned my stomach.

    *thinks happy button related thoughts*

    Super cute earrings! Do you definitely need a glue gun to make them? My craft equipment doesn't include one of them but I have superglue.

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  26. Alex - I reckon superglue would probably be fine or there are other strong craft glues - I just use my gluegun cos I have one and it's handy!

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  27. Great tip with the blue tac. As for the old lady pic, what can I say but "Oh dear!"She looks happy though, that's what counts.

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  28. ooh, very pretty, and clever trick with the blue tack x

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  29. Loving those coconut heart earrings !

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  30. Great earrings. I love quick and easy projects! Have linked up my most recent project.

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  31. Good granny! Those ears in the picture make me hurt! Sigh. I love buttons! Thanks for doing Ta-Dah Tuesday. And for always making me laugh.

    xoxo
    Lynn

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  32. those earrings are fantastic and I love them - I know what you mean, though ,sometimes your ears just need a rest from the long dangly types. That photo though, shudder. And you do make me laugh - I love your tarot interpretation! I'm not sure I'll be able to do a reading with a straight face this week! Great tip about the blutack too - I shall remember that when doing stuff with buttons in the future - you are a genius (and i love that I always leave your blog with a smile on my face)

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  33. Great ta-dah! I have a tin full of buttons sat all abandoned, wondering what I can find to make xxx

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  34. Hey,, I found it really a great idea, to make earrings of buttons. Those earrings are looking gorgeous, especially the heart shaped earrings.

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  35. I bought a load of posts to make button ear-rings and I haven't got round to it yet. Good to know you can use super-glue instead of a glue gun (still haven't got one - maybe i should put it on my birthday list).

    PS I love the little blue ones - and thanks for the top bluetack tip!

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  36. Love the cute earrings. I like the blue button studs.
    Thanks for sharing

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