Buttons to Cabs - Easy!

Alot of the shank buttons in my shop can easily be turned into cabochons. Here's how...

You'll need the following supplies: plastic shank buttons, cutters, and sunglasses. Well...you don't really need sunglasses but the shanks you cut off do fly all over the place. Plus, the cutters clearly state to use safety glasses. ;) The cutters can be found in the jewelry section of any craft store.

















Here's a look at the back of the buttons. The buttons I'll be using are the star shaped buttons from my shop.















When cutting the shank, I suggest cutting both sides at the same time (as pictured). When you cut each side seperately, the cuts are not smooth so you'll have to go back and snip off the excess.
















Here is what the button looks like once the shank is cut off. The are will be white but it's no biggie since this is generally the side that is glued when crafting.


















And here are the once star shaped buttons easily transformed to star shaped cabochons , nice and flat. Great for hairbows & clippies and just about any crafting project.

















I also made some heart shaped cabochons out of some of the heart shaped buttons that are found at my shop.

Endless Possibilities with an Envelope Template

One of the best items I got in my shipment from Japan was an envelope template by Anticca (Decole). It is made of wood and makes custom envelope-making super simple. You can use anything to make an envelope - newspaper, wrapping paper, card stock, etc. Below is a quick tutorial on an envelope I made using the template. For the paper, I used a scrapbook page that I got from Hobby Lobby for 59cents.

Here are the items you will need:


















Trace the envelope template onto the back of the paper:


















Cut the paper along the line you created with the template, then fold the flaps in along the fold line you traced. Put glue on the right and left flaps, then fold the bottom flap up and press along the right and left sides to seal.

















And wa-la! Don't forget to erase the top fold line you traced otherwise the recipient will see it when they open the envelope. You actually do not need to trace the fold lines, I skipped that part for my second envelope and it came out just fine.
















Here's another one I made for a card my little girl made for a birthday party she's going to. Super cute, super easy!