Weddingbee Blog

Me and Martha Stewart are like so totally on the same page. Today she sent me an email (we’re tight like that) all about how you can use buttons in your ceremony. And I was all like “Thanks Martha, but I’m totally one step ahead of you.”

OK, I’m not gonna lie. I think buttons are cute, I guess, but normally I just throw away the extra ones that come with a blouse. Because if I don’t throw them away, they just end up all lonely in their tiny plastic bags, lost in the bottom of some drawer. So now I just toss them, and find solace in the fact that allllllllll the buttons are ending up in the same spot—erm, the landfill.

Hmm. That’s depressing.

Anyway, recently I was literally freaking OUT over napkins. It turned into this big existential crisis where I drank too much red wine, beat my head against the worn couch pillows, and wondered what “it” all meant. “It” being wedding planning, tsunamis, poverty, autism, circuses, Black Swan, hot and cold water molecules, and that whole Elder Wand thing in Harry Potter.

One Google search later for “wedding DIY napkin rings” and I was back to normal and completing perhaps the best, OK, most easiest DIY wedding project EV-ER.

Fabric Covered Button Napkin Rings. Ooohhhhhhhh. Aaahhhhhhhhhh.

Image via Once Wed

Steps to making ridiculously simply easy & fun fabric covered buttons

1. Get yo’ buttons. Just get a few to practice with to see if you can do it (you can!) and if you like the result (hello, it’s a fabric covered button, of course you will!).

Dritz Cover Buttons image via Create For Less

I like size 60 which is a button about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

In one pack you will get two button fronts, two button backs, a white rubber mold, a blue pusher thingy, and a template.

2. Get some fabric. Ask all your friends and family for fabric scraps…I bet someone has a ton they can give you for free! Or, buy some super cute fabric. Use a coupon, because of course you are like, so thrifty.

3. Wash and iron the fabric. Fold it over. Put the template down width ways (eh?) like so…

Again, this is the size 60 button template, so we are making buttons 1 1/2″ wide. So the circle we cut will end up being 3 inches across. Why? I don’t know…because it needs extra fabric to fold over onto the back of the button. Just trust me.

4. Use your rotary cutter and plastic ruler cutting guide thingy to cut a strip. If you don’t have a rotary cutter, go get one ASAP…it will change your life. And cut. Then cut some more strips, just for good measure.

5. Fold the fabric strip in half so it is long and skinny, also known as 1 1/2″ wide now, instead of 3″ wide. Place the flat end of the template against the folded edge, and start cutting circles—remember, it does not have to be perfect!

Time saving tip: Put several pieces of fabric together and cut. Since the edges will be folded over in the end, (say it with me now!) it doesn’t have to be perfect! My favorite kind of project.

6. Take the white rubbery button mold. Push a piece of fabric into it, with the good side face down and the bad side facing you.

This is the good side facing up, obv, so flip it over and push it down, like so.

7. Push the button front into the mold.

8. Fold the fabric over and then push the button back in.

9. Use the blue thingy to push down and pop the button back into the button front.

10. Pull the button out and marvel at it. “Wow, so easy, it’s a magical button!”

Then make like 100 more without sweating at all. Seriously, it took way longer to take photos and write out all the steps in the blog post than it did to make the buttons.

If you’re gonna make a bunch of buttons, I’d recommend ordering them wholesale, as they are much more affordable that way. Just do a search for “cover buttons” and you will find many sellers.

So, now that I have these buttons…I need to figure out what color ribbon to use. And what color napkins. And also, what else I can use buttons for!

I didn’t know I was Button Bride but apparently I am! Have you gotten sucked into a DIY project because it was so fun and easy and just couldn’t stop?