{DIY Weddings Guest Post} DIY Button Holes

Welcome to the first ever guest post here at DIY Weddings, DIY Button Holes created by the talented Chloe of Adore by Chloe! In her own words Chloe is a “tea-loving editor who loves unique, handmade, and pretty things.” With the motto “Eat, Craft, and be Married” Adore by Chloe is a wonderful resource for brides seeking creative wedding inspiration and so much more!

Chloe recently shared a round-up of ideas for non-floral button holes, or boutonnieres, and she created a tutorial for making your own especially for our readers! Be sure to visit Adore by Chloe for lots more ideas, inspiration, and even a handpicked shopping directory of UK suppliers! And now for the button holes:

To make them you will need…

Thin crafting wire
Patterned paper (I used some sheet music)
Buttons
A small piece of lace
Burlap or hessian
String
Glue
Scissors
A needle and thread

How to make them…

Step 1 ~ Make three little paper and button flowers by cutting little shapes from the paper. Place a button in the centre of the flower shape then push through some thin crafting wire from underneath, over and back through another hole in the button. Twist the wire underneath to hold in place.

Step 2 ~ Make a string flower using a small felt circle and some string. Tie a knot in the end then glue this to the centre of the felt. Now twist the string round and glue as you cover the felt. Leave a good length of spare string and attach some wire, twisting together the ends.

Step 3 ~ Make a lace flower by concertina folding a small piece of lace and securing with a few stitches at one end. Push through some crafting wire and twist to form the ‘stem’.

Step 4 ~ Cut two leaf shapes from the burlap material and thread the crafting wire up the centre to the tip then back down the back to keep sturdy. Twist the wire as above to secure and leave some spare wire to work with later.

Now you should have a selection of crafty flowers to make up the buttonhole!

Step 5 ~ Position the two burlap leaves then twist the wires together.

Step 6 ~ Add on the lace flower, button flowers and string flower, twisting the wires together as you go.

Step 7 ~ Tidy the twisted wires then wrap tightly with the spare string from your circular flower to cover all the wires. Secure at the back with a few stitches or glue.

For more crafty wedding ideas, DIY projects and yummy recipes visit my blog and say hello!

Happy crafting, Chloe x

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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