Vintage Button Heart Tutorial
As I’ve had some inquiries as to how I made my vintage button heart, I wanted to walk you through it step by step. Hope you have lots of fun making your own.
First, gather all of the buttons you want to use and lay them out in a heart shape. You will need some 18 guage wire ( I purchased mine at a hobby store), and measure out a piece that will hold all of the buttons when strung on it. Leave 5-6" extra to give you some working room.
Starting with the button at the very bottom of your heart, start stringing them onto your wire. This guage of wire was a little tricky at times to get through some of the buttons, but I found with the thinner wires, that they weren’t quite strong enough to hold the weight of all the buttons, and they ended up being quite flimsy.
Continue stringing the buttons on your wire working clockwise around your heart pattern.
When all of your buttons are strung on the wire, straighten it out.
Find the button that makes the top center point of your heart and bend the wire on both sides up to make a V.
Now bend the ends around to make your basic heart shape.
Cross the end wires over each other.
Twist the wires together.
Wrap the ends up and around some of the other wire on the heart. If you have too much wire at the end, just clip some off until you have about 1 1/2".
Finish shaping your heart and then you are all done.
I am going to have a go at this, I have boxes and boxes of buttons which never see the light of day.
I like the pretty fabric in the background too!
How lovely! And so perfect with the fabric (oooh, I just realized French Knots said the same…but it’s true!). Now feeling like a visit The Button Queen shop is a must-do… K x
Thank you for that. Adorable. I’m going to stop and get wire on the way home from work. Do you think this could be used as a pin. . or broach I guess?
love them, great tutorial x
Love your button heart…..Thanks for sharing.
Love your tutorial…I love buttons and this is just as cute as can be..Thanks so much
Sue Mc
I make these hearts too, and would suggest a blob of hot glue (or superglue) on the back of each one – gives it more rigidity and helps to hold the shape. Lovely!
Hi. These are so pretty i really want to make some for my wedding but i am having real trouble!! Ive tried making them but the wire gets all twisted when im trying to pull it through the buttons and then the buttons dont sit close enough together and are really loose,and the wire gets all mangled. Ive tried using 20 and 24 gauge wire and am using mother of pearl buttons. Please help!! What am i doing wrong?!
Just a quick note to say thanks for the email!! your advise was really helpful and the pliers are working great!!
They are so pretty! now to figure out what ribbon to use!! Thank you again x