Heart Button Art Tutorial

You know what I love? I love dogs, cats, crafts, coffee, cooking, and, well, love! The other day I was working on another one of my loves, organizing, out in the garage. I have moved 3 different times without ever completely unpacking. Boxes get stuck in storage and never get opened before they get up and moved to another place where they go to once again sit unopened. You know what I mean?

And I’ve just about had enough of that nonsense. I HATE buying something when I know that I have it somewhere in some box! So I’m pretty happy to say that I have absolutely NO packed up boxes of anything anymore. Huzzah! But now I have tubs… lots and lots of tubs. And most of those tubs are already organized and have been labelled and shelved in the garage. I mean have five different tubs FULL of Christmas ornaments divided into cool, warm, white and metallic, natural, and multicolor for Heaven’s sake. But everything I own is here at my house. Nothing at my parents’ (I don’t think?) and nothing in offsite storage. BOOM!

One of the things I came across last week was a picture frame. I was pretty sure it was the same frame that I had put DIY button art in. Seeing it made me happy because it was a project I remember doing with my cat Marla who isn’t with me anymore. And this was one of the first times I smiled instead of instantly tearing up.

As luck would have it, it is the same frame from my first heart button art project :)

Today I’m recreating that button heart art in the way my style has evolved to. It’s a little more bold and in your face. Perhaps more modern. But honestly this is a project that can translate to absolutely any style you love. Whether you go cute and cozy like I did back in 2014 or if you go with my more modern design of 2021, it’s a classic craft that will suit any style.

Supplies Needed to Make Your Own Heart Button Art:

• Picture Frame
• Patterned Paper
• Foam Core Board
• Buttons
• Matching Seed Beads
• Matching Acrylic Paint
• Free Printable Heart Pattern (optional)

I can’t seem to find a similar frame to link to like I used here in this post. Mine is an aluminum frame that is white and I think maybe I got it at either Hobby Lobby or Dollar Tree. Both are good places to look for inexpensive frames. From the scrapbooking department at Hobby Lobby I selected an 8.5″ x 11″ white paper doted with black hearts. I got it for half off and only paid $0.30 for it, score!

Foam core board can be expensive depending on where you buy it. You can get it from dollar stores or Walmart carries a brand, Ross, that is around $0.80 a sheet (even cheaper than the dollar store!) Foam core is one of those crafty things I always keep around because it proves useful a lot.

I was able to get my buttons and beads right out of my craft stash but Walmart is a good place to buy both of those things. I believe my red buttons originally came from a mixed package from Walmart for around $6. I used some and added the rest to my stash and they’ve proven useful again!

Don’t feel like you have to go with a red heart. I am because I’m feeling all Valentine’s Day-sy but I might actually make another piece just like this, but with a black heart. Which sounds weird now that I’m typing it out but it’s gonna be super cute!

If you like

Tools Needed:

• Craft Knife (I Love My Cricut True Control)
• Self-Healing Cutting Mat
• Cut Resistant Protective Gloves (optional)

Just FYI, I’ve had my pair of cut resistant gloves for just over 4 years and I haven’t cut the tip off of my finger again, so they’re worth it! If you craft a lot or know somebody who does, these gloves are an awesome thing to have in the craft room.

How to Easily Make Heart Button Art:

Print out your free pattern or draw out a heart shape that you love. Trim the excess paper from your heart to create a pattern. Trace the heart onto foam core board and cut out using a sharp craft knife. This is a smart time to bust out those cut resistant gloves, too.

Paint your foam heart with acrylic craft paint in your choice of color. Either choose the color to match or stand out, both have awesome potential.

Once the paint has dried slather on a nice, thick coat of craft glue, like Tacky Glue. Working quickly, stick buttons down covering as much of the heart as you can.

Fill any empty spaces on the heart with small seed beads (my beads are super small,12/0). Leave all of the beads (even the excess) resting on top of the wet glue. Allow the heart to fully dry before moving. Once dry gently brush away the excess beads.

Cut a piece of patterned paper to fit and then tuck it inside of your picture frame. *Quick Tip – use the glass that came with the frame behind your art. It make the piece more sturdy and if you decide to toss a photo in it later you’ll still have the glass to do it.

Stick it Down!

Apply glue to the backside of your heart and stick into place. Allow to fully dry. I decided to use rubber cement because that bond is super strong. To dry bond using rubber cement, apply a thin layer to both the back of the heart and the corresponding area on the paper you want to affix it to. Allow the cement time to dry completely. Once dry stick the two pieces together and they will bond like nothing you’ve ever seen before. If you have excess rubber cement, or a string that falls across your paper, give it time to fully dry and then rub it away with a clean finger.

And that is all there is to that!

With a few supplies from the good ol’ craft stash you’ve got some totally adorable art. And if you don’t quite have my level of craft stash, yet, (that fills up the walls on both sides of the garage) you’ll get there some day, lol!