Got a lot of old buttons laying around the house? I sure did. So I decided to make a fantastic button bowl using a balloon and glue- I know it sounds crazy but stick with me here! Turn those piles, bags, drawers (I had a lot of buttons too, no judgement) full of old buttons into something beautiful and functional.
These bowls are easy to make and the supplies are very cheap. Button bowls would be a fun craft to make with your kids on a rainy day, or as a one-of-a-kind gift for that someone who has it all. 🙂
What you will need:
flat buttons of desired colors and sizes (I have found that smaller buttons tend to stick better)
balloons
white glue- Elmer’s white glue works well, or Tacky glue, anything that dries clear
large paint brush
scissors
news paper
cup or can to balance balloon on while it dries (see photos)
patience
1. Blow up a balloon to the desired size you want your bowl to be and place it knot side down into a cup, can or jar that you don’t mind getting a little glue on
2. Cover half of the balloon with glue using a paintbrush (or your finger, works for me). You might have to alternate holding the balloon by the knot for a few minutes then setting it knot-side-down in your jar in order for the glue to have an even coat and not drip off.
3. Let the glue dry completely forming a layer of rubber-like protection between the balloon and your layer of buttons
4. After this first layer is completely dry, apply a second coat of glue using your brush (or finger) starting at the top of the balloon and working your way down toward the knot. Attach buttons to this layer as close together as you can fit them.
5. Continue adding the second layer of glue and attaching buttons until your half a balloon is covered with beautiful buttons.
6. Once all the desired buttons are attached turn your button covered balloon upside down in your cup so that the knot is in the air and the buttons are balanced on the lip of the cup- this is to keep your buttons from sliding down the balloon while they dry.
7. Let the layer of glue and buttons dry completely- usually requires about 4 or 5 hours.
8. Once the second layer of glue and buttons is completely dry, coat the buttons over again with a third layer of glue.
9. Allow this third layer of glue to dry completely- I usually let it sit overnight- and if desired you can apply a fourth layer of glue to strengthen your bowl even more.
10. When your bowl is entirely dry use a scissor and cut the knot on the balloon to slowly let the air out. Sometimes glue will drip down, just peel it back and use the scissor to snip any unwanted glue bits away from the button edge.
11. Admire your hard work and patience!
These bowls are a lot of fun to make and each one comes out unique! It is important to note that these bowls are NOT WATER RESISTANT, unless you choose to use a water resistant form of glue. They are for decorative purposes only and should not be used for food (unless, of course, the food is decorative as well).
Here are a few other button bowls I have made using this technique:
designs by kristen 
Posted by cpr11 on August 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Thank you for proving that this CAN be done! So many nay-sayers on another site…
Posted by designs by kristen on August 14, 2012 at 9:05 pm
You are welcome 🙂 The trick is to do a few layers of glue before applying the buttons, and a few more after- the more layers the stronger the bowl! Enjoy!
Posted by Me on September 29, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Hi
Posted by Ron on November 23, 2013 at 1:16 am
try as many layers as you like just give yourself a few weeks to make one bowl..
Posted by Debbie on October 14, 2012 at 3:02 pm
This is something I have been wanting to try. I tried making one with doilys, but didn’t work out. I guess I didn’t put enough of the type of glue that was used. I got if from one of the bloggers (sorry, can’t remember her name). 1/2 cup of sugar and 2/3 cups of water.. boil about 3 minutes then dip doileys in and lay on balloon.. I have no clue of where I went wrong.
Posted by Kim on November 2, 2012 at 10:37 am
I made a buttin bowl using your method and it looks fantastic!
Posted by designs by kristen on November 2, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Awesome! So glad you tried it out! I would love to see some photos if you feel like sharing 🙂
Posted by Abhishek.Thaker on December 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm
good ideas………!!!! gr8……..!!!!!!
Posted by Kim on November 2, 2012 at 10:38 am
Sorry that should say button 😉
Posted by Ashley on December 5, 2012 at 10:13 am
How strong are the bowls & is there anything you can use to make the glue more clear or will that type of glue not work as well? I thought it would be neat to try to make one as a surving bowl for like chips or somethin but not sure how that would work out, maybe even for s decoration piece to put something in. was thinking maybe resin would be cool to try to make them out of. Never worked with resin before though lol. Thank you for your time & awesome tips! 🙂
Posted by designs by kristen on December 8, 2012 at 12:10 am
The more layers of glue you put on the balloon before adding the buttons, and after adding the buttons the stronger the bowls will be. More layers of glue will also make the glue less clear, I used school glue because it dries almost clear- there are other types of glue, like Tacky Glue, that will work too but the bowls will be more fragile and shatter when dropped. I haven’t found a way to make them water proof yet that is non-toxic- most sealants and varnishes are pretty nasty stuff and should not be around food!
Thanks for the input, and have fun with your bowls!
Posted by Brianna Titus on January 18, 2013 at 5:32 pm
Have you tried wood sealant, like carpanters would use on wooden dishes? It would come out clear, and would lock water out.
Posted by GmaSheila on March 18, 2013 at 2:48 pm
I would suggest putting a clear glass or plastic bowl inside the button bowl for food use.
Posted by Ange on December 14, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Just wondering if pva would work as well.
Posted by Bombed Button Bowl | CraftFail on January 16, 2013 at 3:00 pm
[…] of fourteen seconds on Pinterest, then you’ve no doubt seen roughly seventy jillion pins for button bowls, like the one pictured above by designs by kristen. They’re all based on the original button […]
Posted by cathy on February 10, 2013 at 1:13 pm
i tried this and it came out great for a few days, then the bowl started to loose it’s shape, it’s also bendable…did I not use enough of the glue? Should I put it back on a form and put on more of the modge podge? Or another glue?
please help….
Posted by designs by kristen on February 10, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Hi Cathy, It sounds like you might need a few more layers of glue. I did this for the first few bowls- one completely collapsed into a pile of glue and buttons! You can blow up another balloon and put the bowl back on to add more layers, hope this helps!
Posted by cathy on February 10, 2013 at 11:37 pm
thanks, i’ll try this….
Posted by Jess on February 14, 2013 at 8:20 am
hi my names Jess and i’m fresh out of high school and lately i’ve been crazy arty and doing all these things. i’ve done toilet roll art, blending art, crayon art and real life art. i was looking for something new and unique and then i found this! can i just this is amazing, of all the art things i’ve been looking at this just…it inspires me to do more. i mentioned it to my friend and she told me last year she made a chocolate bowl using a ballon. honestly i was like who makes stuff with balloons then i saw this. first website to show and must i say thank you. i’m gonna make a few to store my new art yarn balls in.
Posted by designs by kristen on February 23, 2013 at 3:11 am
Thanks Jess! It’s always nice to talk with fellow craft lovers 🙂 I hope you have fun with balloon bowls! And if you haven’t seen it- check out http://www.craftgawker.com- there are SO many amazing things to make AND instructions on how to make them!
Happy Crafting!
🙂
Posted by Lauren on February 23, 2013 at 12:39 am
Do you think Mod Podge would work instead of glue? I have significantly more mod podge but never know if it and glue are interchangeable
Posted by designs by kristen on February 23, 2013 at 3:09 am
I don’t have too much experience with Mod Podge, but have seen it used to seal and things like jewelry and paper crafts so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! It dries clear as well, but i’m not sure that it is water-resistant?
Mod Podge also works to make transparencies from magazine photographs if you coat the front side of a picture from a magazine with 6 or 7 layers of Mod Podge (letting each layer dry before applying the next coat) then run the back of the picture under water and gently rub off the paper pulp the Mod Podge holds the image in a cool transparency!
Posted by 8 Awesome Girl Scout Ideas - Craft Ideas Girl Scouts Will Love on March 12, 2013 at 12:18 pm
[…] Designs by Kristen shows you how to make a super cute bowl using buttons and balloons. You gotta know this is an awesome Girl Scout craft! […]
Posted by Whitney on March 12, 2013 at 9:48 pm
in the process of making my first button bowl! Im very excited for the outcome. 😉 thank you for the great idea, its something too keep me busy on my days off. haha
Posted by designs by kristen on March 13, 2013 at 2:12 am
You are very welcomed Whitney! Nothing beats a good old crafting day off 🙂
Posted by Joanna on May 16, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I’m home from college and sitting around all day doing nothing until my job starts next month, so I’ve decided to make all of my favorite pins to life for my college apartment next year and this is my first step. The button layer is drying right now and I’m excited to see how it turns out!
Posted by designs by kristen on May 18, 2013 at 6:34 pm
Excellent! Enjoy your crafting time before the new job, Sounds like your new apartment is going to be full of one-of-a-kind treasures 🙂
Posted by Joey on May 18, 2013 at 4:23 pm
I’m trying is right now!
Posted by Dana on June 18, 2013 at 10:43 pm
Trying this as well. Cute idea. What if the glue runs down the balloon and dries and no buttons are put there. Is that going to matter after I pop the balloon? Will the glue just be able to be pealed away? Thanks
Posted by designs by kristen on June 19, 2013 at 10:57 am
Good question! The glue almost always does drip down to the spot where there are no buttons, after your bowl is dry and you pop the balloon you can clip these extra gule drips off with nail clippers or sharp scissors. Happy crafting!
Posted by Ron on July 1, 2013 at 2:15 pm
I am now on my 3rd attempt at making a button bowl . I put 2 layers of school glue on, let the ballon dry overnight each time, then put the modpodge on and buttons, then this morning l let the air out slowly and the balloon came away from the glue and I ended up with what looked like a crinkled shower cap with buttons attached…I am on the verge of giving up !
Posted by designs by kristen on July 1, 2013 at 11:32 pm
Hi Ron, so sorry the balloons keep collapsing! I had this happen the first few times I tried as well and it is super frustrating. I tried doing the layers of glue, with and without buttons, all within one day instead of doing one a day, it seems like the balloon when it is inflated has about a day/ day and a half life span before it starts loosing air. Also, if you want to save the buttons from the collapsed tries you can soak them in water overnight and the glue will wash off. Sort of a pain but saves some money/ effort on finding new buttons. Don’t give up, you can do it! 🙂
Posted by Ron on July 2, 2013 at 1:49 am
Thanks for the quick reply, am in the midst of another one, hoping it will go well as I have balloons hanging all over the place as well as some in mugs as hoping to run a surprise craft class for a friend who is returning to Japan. Shall soak the buttons..
Posted by Tash on July 5, 2013 at 11:34 pm
Great idea. Going to try it now. By the way what was the newspaper for? Thanks😄
Posted by designs by kristen on July 6, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Thanks! The newspaper is just to cover the surface you are working on in case of glue drips. Enjoy your bowl making!
Posted by Ron on July 7, 2013 at 12:45 am
Well I had another go and still no success, did this over a period of four days. it appears if you put too many layers of glue on, the ballon disintegrates and then the whole thing caves in. Think it is time to admit defeat.
Posted by Akanksha on August 1, 2013 at 11:05 am
I am in so much love with this tutorial . thank you for such a lovely tutorial. I tried it with Fevicol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fevicol) . I live in India and Elmer’s glue is not available in my country . The bowl started to loose it’s shape, and mostly all the buttons shattered. Can u please help me or suggest anything else ? I so much wanted to do this .
Posted by Adt on August 5, 2013 at 5:42 pm
I tried it but while I put the buttens on they kept sliding of it was so frustrating. And I’m the kinda girl that gives up easily. Please help !!!!
Posted by Ron on November 23, 2013 at 1:15 am
forget this project, it is impossible unless you have a lot of spare time, patience and accept a lot of failed attempts, believe me I followed 3 set of advice enrolled 8 friends and the decided there are a lot better projects out there
Posted by Adt on August 5, 2013 at 5:47 pm
I tried it but while I was applying the buttons they kept sliding off. It was so frustrating! And I’m the kinda girl that gives up easily. Please help!!
Posted by Heather Craftfail on August 23, 2013 at 2:10 am
HI Kristen,
I’m writing a book for my site CraftFail, and I need an example of a successful button bowl. I would love to use one of your bowls in my book! Could you email me so I can discuss it with you?
heather at craftfail dot com
Posted by linda purcell on October 6, 2013 at 7:18 pm
what is the best glue to use?????
Posted by All Things Metal Clay » Blog Archive Round up of Good Reads in Jewelry, Crafts & Biz | All Things Metal Clay on November 8, 2013 at 9:07 pm
[…] happen to have an enormous stash of buttons right now, so this tutorial for making a button bowl caught my […]
Posted by Button Projects for the Holidays Including Links to 12 Button Craft Resources « North Carolina State Button Society on November 16, 2013 at 8:15 pm
[…] Making a Button Bowl – maybe a little messy, but pretty simple and what a neat gift! […]
Posted by Barb Boggs on December 12, 2013 at 7:55 pm
Wish I had found this before attempting my first bowl 🙂 But I did figure out most of what you have here during the first 2 attempts. I didn’t know about letting the first layer of glue dry before adding a second layer and the buttons. My third attempt is drying right now so we’ll see if it is a success this time! Thanks for the instructions 🙂
Posted by Ron on April 2, 2014 at 2:26 am
I would not even consider doing this with your Grandchildren if they are under the age of 16. and very keen on crafts and do not mind a failure. It is very difficult, takes load of patience and you cannot expect great results even after after numerous experiments. I worked on mine for 3 weeks before conducting a Craft Class and we used hairdryers to get the first layer of glue dry, and then a second layerl and then the next day another and buttons. The Balloons also deflate and no one had a good result despite taking them home as to not rush the process. I ended up with a lopsided bowl 1/3rd of the size and no I did not think it worth trying again with the buttons that I removed from the balloon and washed..
Posted by Simple DIY Button Bowls Cupcakepedia on March 21, 2014 at 6:06 am
[…] via Designs by Kristen […]
Posted by Simple DIY Button Bowls Cupcakepedia on March 21, 2014 at 6:15 am
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Posted by Jennifer on March 22, 2014 at 10:10 pm
It works!!! I just finished. There was a great deal of fear and hesitation when I let the air out of the balloon- but it looks awesome!!!
Posted by Jennifer on March 22, 2014 at 10:11 pm
I used mod podge- 6 coats
Posted by Ron on April 2, 2014 at 2:27 am
I would not even consider doing this again, SO PLEASE POST HOW YOU MADE :IT WORK<<< if they are under the age of 16. and very keen on crafts and do not mind a failure. It is very difficult, takes load of patience and you cannot expect great results even after after numerous experiments. I worked on mine for 3 weeks before conducting a Craft Class and we used hairdryers to get the first layer of glue dry, and then a second layerl and then the next day another and buttons. The Balloons also deflate and no one had a good result despite taking them home as to not rush the process. I ended up with a lopsided bowl 1/3rd of the size and no I did not think it worth trying again with the buttons that I removed from the balloon and washed..
Posted by Kate on September 17, 2014 at 9:27 am
Perhaps it is the balloons you are using that let you down, have you tried using different brands? I saw another bowl made in this way using confetti, perhaps this method would be worth a try. Good luck if you attempt this again.
Posted by Fruit loops on March 25, 2014 at 4:18 am
I tried this but each time I left my balloon to dry, the air from it ran out and all my buttons fell off:( can u help?
Posted by Unique Button Bowl Craft | DIY Home Things on March 26, 2014 at 4:51 am
[…] Kristentool – Unique Button Bowl Craft […]
Posted by Brenda Baker on April 2, 2014 at 12:20 am
I am going to try this with my grand kids the next school holidays . I have hundreds spare buttons . I’m just a bit concerned about which glue to use
Posted by Create a Unique Bowl Using Old Buttons | pimmento on June 2, 2014 at 11:04 am
[…] Create a Unique Bowl Using Old Buttons. […]
Posted by pimmento on June 2, 2014 at 11:05 am
Me too, I want to try this one, it looks a lot of fun…
Posted by Button Bowl | Little Fingers on June 18, 2014 at 4:54 am
[…] Source: Designs by Kristen […]
Posted by Susan Hanzelka on August 3, 2014 at 5:37 pm
I did a bowl made out of scraps of fabric, fabric stiffener and fabric mod podge. As a form I used a bowl covered in plastic wrap. Perhaps something similar would work for this project and you wouldn’t have the issue of the deflating balloon. I hope to try it soon!
Posted by DIY Unique Bowl Made of Buttons | DIY Ideaz on September 10, 2014 at 4:00 pm
[…] Designs by Kristen – DIY Unique Bowl Made of Buttons […]
Posted by Wonderful DIY Cute Button Bowl | WonderfulDIY.com on September 13, 2014 at 12:35 pm
[…] Photo credit from “Designs by Kristen” […]
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[…] Here’s the link to the tutorial >> Easy Button Bowl Tutorial […]
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[…] Image Credit: Kristentool.wordpress.com […]
Posted by Marian Horsefall on September 30, 2014 at 6:48 pm
I going to try this can go with my bags I have been doing wish there was more to do
Posted by 10 Brilliant DIY Ideas How to Create Unique Bowl | World inside pictures on October 16, 2014 at 3:06 pm
[…] source […]
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Posted by 10 Brilliant DIY Ideas How to Create Unique Bowl | HeySup on October 25, 2014 at 10:52 am
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Posted by Ariadne on October 26, 2014 at 6:18 pm
Hello! I found your blogpost on pinterest and made the bowl. I am mentioning your blog in my blog. You can have a look if you like here.http://ariadnefromgreece.blogspot.gr/2014/10/something-with-buttons.html
It was quite difficult but I enjoyed it!Thank you! ariadnesky(at)hotmail(dot)com AriadnefromGreece!
Posted by 10 DIY Craft Projects With Tutorials To Create Gorgeous Bowls. Awesome! on October 27, 2014 at 12:53 pm
[…] 5. Create a Unique DIY Bowl Using Old Buttons.Source : kristentool.wordpress […]
Posted by Check Out These 10 Simple DIY Ideas To Create Unique Bowls | on November 11, 2014 at 12:59 pm
[…] source […]
Posted by Top Creative Ideas | Create a Unique Bowl Using Old Buttons on November 11, 2014 at 11:19 pm
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