Flamingo Button Keeper Tutorial

Have you taken the Button Keep Challenge? It's only almost August and not at all to late to begin. A button keep for each month of the year, twelve projects to bring you lots and lots of smiles. I have represented the Perfectly Perfect Purveyor of all things Floridian for my kitschy topper.

There was not one single doubt in my mind that my August Button Keep would represent Florida at it's heyday of seashell souvenirs. There is just something about teeny tiny seashells attached to household items that just sends me.

SUPPLIES: Gathering together possible supplies needed was not an easy thing in the heart of the Midwest. Thank goodness Michaels has seashells by the oodles to purchase inexpensively. I printed my vintage FLORIDA postcard wallet size and cut apart each letter. (I ended up not using wire)

LID: The cutest of canning jars purchased a dozen for $7.00 at WalMart. Trace lid on cardboard, cut out. Trace cut out on back of blue area of map atlas, cut around drawn circle, enough room to later pink edges. Glue stick to white card stock, pink around drawn line.

Cut strip of cardboard width of jar lid edge, hot glue to edge of lid. (Note slight space) Glue lid seal to inside of ring, optional. Build up depression in lid with several layers of cardboard. Cut white card stock strip and map strip slightly wider than cardboard strip. Pink edge of either map strip or white strip. Hot glue to cardboard strip on lid. Hot glue pinked round to lid. Now for the fun part!

OHMYGOSH!OHMYGOSH!OHMYGOSH!

An optional step, but one that truly gives this craft it's umph, lightly apply two coats of Modge Podge to lid and strip as well as cut out letters.

Hot glue main shells in place after finding pleasing arrangement.

FLAMINGO:  Bend stem end into teardrop shape, twist to secure, bend at right angle, trim with wire cutters about 1 1/2". Body: Coil one pipe stem around wide part of pen towards pen point. Wide end slips over tear drop. Neck: Coil pipe stem around small paint brush desired length of neck, trim. Head: Coil pipe stem beginning just before pen point to point. LEGS: Bend pipe stem right angle to create foot, U bend at leg length desired, right angle again to create foot.

ASSEMBLY: Slip wide end of body coil over teardrop, pinch end of teardrop to create tail. Slip neck coil over straight stem, bend at right angle to create head. Slip on head coil. Insert small bent black stem for beak, glue eyes in place.Slip leg U between coils. Wings, length of stem bent towards center, slip between coils.

Vintage buttons washed up on shore, candle holders filled with pearls, Dominos played by Boca Raton retirees. There just couldn't be a cuter place to store my buttons.

July and August Button Keepers side by side. Dare I hope September will be just as wonderful? I do hope you will take the challenge and create a button keeper of your own design or copy one of mine. If you do, please let me know!