I have seen a lot of the button mosaic art lately and it gave me an idea. Could I do a version of this with shrink plastic? And, as I seem to be on a flamingo high, I thought I would use the same drawing for the frosted glass one for this flamingo.
Now as I said, it usually comes back to Christmas for me. And I thought, wouldn't it be cool to do a button mosaic Christmas ornament.
I picked a simple form as I thought it would be easier to fill in with buttons(they only make them so small). Then I decided to use seed beads, gems and small beads. You could also use glitter. So, after doing a few of these I suppose you could do any form that you can cut out of the shrink plastic.
That was the nice thing about the shrink plastic. I can make any form I want. The plastic is strong so it holds up.
This is a picture of the back, just so you can see how I colored it.
This is a picture of some of the many of the items I use. I used Shrinky Dink brand, but I am not sure if they have stopped making this or not. You can also use Grafix brand. I have never used this brand, but may have to try it if I can't get more Shrinky. From what I have read, the Grafix doesn't get as small while baking, so you have to play with the size of my pattern to get it the size you want.
A list of what I used for this project:
Shrinky Dink Ruff and Ready, 1 sheet
Hole Punch or small drill bit, I usually don't use a hole punch for the hanging hole. I use the smallest drill bit I can find and drill after I have finished the ornament.
Pink Pencil
White Pencil
E6000 glue or something similar
Tooth Picks
Black Sharpie for tracing and coloring
Parchment Paper
Tile or some other heavy, smooth flat item
Flat Spatula
Cutting board or some other surface on which to drill
4 Long Eye Pins - I think that is what they are called - for the legs
Pink Buttons of all sizes
Flat Back gems in Pink colors - just an assortment of things in pink
Rose Beads with Flat Backs - Bought mine at Michael's in the strung bead section, backs were a little rounded but with enough glue they stuck
Pink Seed beads
White Seed Beads
Black Seed Beads
Flat Back Black Gem
Small Black Beads for making the legs
2 Jump Rings
Pliers
I think you should be able to print this out and use as a pattern
I hand drew this, I think you can probably tell. You may have to adjust his size if you are using a different brand of shrink plastic. At this size, after you make it and add legs, it is about 7 or 8 inches high including the legs. Don't trace the wing.
How I made this.
1. I traced it onto shrink plastic by laying my drawing underneath the sheet of shrink plastic with the frosted side up.
2. I used the sharpie to color in the tip of beak and a white pencil to finish beak. I colored the rest of it pink. I colored it just because I thought some of the plastic might show through. I wasn't particularly neat when I did it. Just filled it in.
3. Cut shape out.
4. Bake according to directions given by the manufacturer of the product you are using. When I bake these I put parchment paper on the pan and place the plastic on that, then I put another layer of parchment paper on top of the ornament. I have a small aluminum pan that came with my toaster over that I put on top of that. This seems to keep the plastic from curling on itself and sticking together. I use my regular oven for baking these but I know some people use their toaster oven, but since I am using the pan from that oven to put on top of the items being baked that wouldn't work for me.
5. Now, these things warp sometimes. I don't know why one does it and one doesn't, even when I am doing the exact same shape. If this happens I put it back in the oven for 5 minutes and then you can work with it a little to get it in the shape I want. I don't put the parchment paper or pan on it the 2nd time as it doesn't seem to curl up so much at this point. But remember, these will sometimes warp and it may never get to the exact shape you want. Just consider it as having a handmade look and move on.
6. I also have a fairly heavy floor tile that I put on top of these when I take them off the pan from baking. I put it on top and wait a few minutes for it to cool. Anything smooth, heavy and flat should work. This helps it get flat.
7. Once baked, use a flat spatula to remove to counter and cover with the heavy object you are using to flatten, like the floor tile I use. Allow to cool for a few minutes
8. After cooling completely I move it to another piece of parchment paper because I know I am going to be sealing and gluing and lots of other things that make a mess.
9. I used a tooth pick to spread the E6000 glue where ever I was putting a button or gem. I squirted out a glob of glue on the parchment paper to begin. I started with the eye, just use the tooth pick to put a dab of glue where you want the eye and affix the black gem. I then started in the middle and adhered the larger buttons or gems by applying glue to the shrink plastic and placing the items down. I worked my way out to the edges and up the neck. Don't worry, you will fill in any blank spaces with the seed beads, glitter, small beads or whatever you have decided to use. Use the white and black seed beads to fill in the face and beak. I would stop and let things dry, so they wouldn't move around and then go back and fill in some more until it was filled in the way I wanted it.
10. I just smeared the glue on the spots that were blank and poured the seed beads on, pressed them in with my finger and poured off any excess. You will have to play with what works best for you.
11. You may want to leave 2 blank spaces so you can drill through the plastic for adding legs. And think about where you will be putting the string for hanging. I just drilled right through buttons and the shrink plastic, but I did it slowly, so I wouldn't loosen what was glued down. If I did loosen it, I just re glued it. You just have to plan how you will handle this. But I managed so I'm sure you will too. Remember to put something under the flamingo so you don't drill through your counter.
12. Make sure all is dry and firm, I rubbed my finger over everything to make sure it was firmly affixed. If it felt loose, I used a tooth pick to add more glue.
13. To make legs, I strung some small black beads, about 8 or 9 onto one of the eye pins and made a loop at the straight end. I filled another eye pin and made a loop on the end of that one that I used that loop to attach to the other eye pin. Make 2 of these.
14. Put jump rings through the holes you made on the body of the flamingo. Attach the legs you made.
15. Put a string through the hole in the top, tie a knot and you are done. I actually made 2 holes on the body of the flamingo for hanging. I just thought it would hang better.
I will be adding some other button mosaic ornaments. Just got to get the pictures.
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