How to Make a Button Advent Calendar

comments (5) November 14th, 2008     

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For a different take on the traditional Advent calendar, try this little tree that gets prettier each day as you add a button ornament.

What you'll need:

• Styrofoam cone, 6 inches tall, 2-7/8 inches diameter
• 9x12 sheet of embossed felt
• Washable fabric-marking pen
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• Wide rickrack
• 25 assorted sew-through buttons (1-1/4-inch-diameter or larger)
• Scrap of pipecleaner
• Pearl cotton embroidery floss
• Two crewel needles
• 25 flat-top thumbtacks
• E-6000 craft adhesive
• Thrift-store saucer
• Three or four sets of 1/2-inch sticky-back Velcro dots

 

Prep the Buttons
I recommend using a mix of various button sizes for this project. You can use any combination of colors, too. Here's an easy way to add a bit of detail to your buttons— and mask their holes:

Use a needle and floss to make several stitches through the button. Leave the ends of the floss loose.

Thread a needle with pearl cotton embroidery floss. Bring the needle up through the button, leaving about a 4-inch tail hanging below.

Stitch through the button holes, making two or three stitches. The other end of the floss should end up hanging below the button.

Tie the ends of the floss in a tight double knot.

Tie the two ends of the floss in a tight double knot at the back of the button. Cut the ends very short.

A little note here: You can certainly skip this step, and use your buttons plain. This stitching treatment, while very cute, will make the gluing step that comes next a little more challenging. But again, it's so darn cute.

Glue a thumbtack to the back of each button.

Glue the Buttons
Use E-6000 to glue a thumbtack to the back of each button. Now, as we just discussed, that stitching and knotting we just did will make it a little difficult for the thumbtack to lie flat against the back of the button. So, use a generous dollop of E-6000, as shown, to help compensate.

Rest the thumbtack in a piece of cardboard while the glue cures.

  posted in: keepsake, seasonal, holiday, button, advent calendar