All Buttoned Up Brooch

Make a pretty brooch using a button and a few beads.

Posted by Donna S.

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You Will Need (11 things)

  • Ultrasuede
  • 25 mm Wooden Button
  • 1 g Seed Beads size 8/0 (A beads)
  • 1 g Seed Beads size 11/0 (B beads)
  • 1 g Seed Beads size 15/0 (in 4 different colours) (C beads)
  • 4 mm Glass Pearl(s) (D beads)
  • Leaf Bead(s) (E beads)
  • Beading Thread
  • Beading Needle
  • Lace ys stiff stuff
  • Glue

Steps (27 steps, 360 minutes)

  1. 1

    Glue the button onto your foundation fabric. Once it is dry thread the needle with a comfortable length of thread, tie a knot in the end, and stitch through the holes in the button to make sure it is firmly attached.

  2. 2

    Bring the needle up through the fabric at the side of the button. Pick up 2A, take them down the thread and lay them on the fabric around the side of the button. Take the needle back down through the fabric where the beads end.

  3. 3

    Bring the needle up through the fabric once more, between the two beads just added. Go through the 2nd bead again. This is known as beaded backstitch.

  4. 4

    Continue around the button in beaded backstitch until you have a row of beads all the way around the edge. Run the needle through all the beads again to straighten and tighten them. Work the needle through to the back between two beads.

  5. 5

    Bring the needle up through the backing at the side of the row of A beads. Pick up 1D and stitch it down right next to the A beads. Sew through it a couple of times to make sure it is firmly attached.

  6. 6

    Bring the needle up next to the row of A beads. Pick up 1E and stitch it down at the side of the pearl. Add 2 or 3 more E beads around the pearl to create a flower.

  7. 7

    Repeat steps 5-7 on the opposite side of the button.

  8. 8

    Bring the needle up next to the first leaf bead in one of the flowers. Work in beaded backstitch around all the petals in C beads.

  9. 9

    Repeat with a different colour of C beads to add a second row.

  10. 10

    Repeat steps 8 & 9 for the other flower.

  11. 11

    Using the third colour of C beads, work a row of beaded backstitch all the way round the edge.

  12. 12

    Bring the needle up at the side of the last row of beads, just to the side of the flower. Work a row of beaded backstitch around the edge of the button, between the two flowers in the second colour of B beads.

  13. 13

    Work three more rows around the button edge in A beads.

  14. 14

    Repeat steps 12 and 13 on the opposite side of the button. Finish off the thread.

  15. 15

    Trim the fabric around the edge of the beads, taking care not to cut the thread.

  16. 16

    Place the beadwork on a piece of stiff card and draw around it. Draw a 2nd line 1-2mm inside this shape and cut out.

  17. 17

    Spread a thin layer of glue over the card, making sure to spread it on the right side. Stick it to the back of the beadwork and leave to dry. I like to use softgrip clothes pegs to make sure it stays in place while drying.

  18. 18

    Place the ultrasuede over the back of the beadwork and position the brooch back on top to determine where it needs to go.

  19. 19

    With a pencil, mark where the ends of the brooch back are and cut two small slits in the ultrasuede to correspond with them.

  20. 20

    Open the brooch back and push the ends through the slits. Apply a layer of glue between the brooch back and the ultrasuede.

  21. 21

    Spread a layer of glue over the back of the beadwork, taking care not to get too close to the edge. Press the ultrasuede and brooch back onto the glue, peg together and leave to dry.

  22. 22

    Trim the ultrasuede around the edge, leaving it just slightly larger than the bead backing.

  23. 23

    To finish off the edges with brick stitch thread the needle with a comfortable length of stretched and conditioned thread and tie a knot in one end. Bring the needle through the backing from the back to the front, trapping the thread between the backing and ultrasuede as you do so.

  24. 24

    Pick up 2C and take the needle through the ultrasuede and the backing 1mm in from the edge, from the back to the front about 2 bead widths away from where the thread is exiting the backing.

  25. 25

    Go through the 2nd A again, in the opposite direction to before, to bring it to sit on the edge of the fabric with the hole facing outwards.

  26. 26

    Pick up 1A and go through the ultrasuede and backing, from the back to the front as before, a bead’s length away from the other beads. Go back through the bead in the opposite direction and pull it to sit beside the others.

  27. 27

    Repeat step 26 all the way around the edge of the beadwork. Join the last bead to the first in the same way and finish off the thread end by tying a couple of knots between beads and working the thread through a few beads and to the back to trim it off.