Buttons!

This is what I was up to over the weekend, making buttons out of polymer clay. First of all, I took some buttons and made molds out of white polymer clay. To make the molds, I brushed the buttons lightly with cornstarch (to help with release) and pressed it into prepared clay. Then, I carefully took the clay off the button and baked it per the instructions. Voila, a button mold. Then I took my clay and pressed it into the mold (that had been lightly brushed with cornstarch) and carefully removed it. (Sometimes it takes more than one try.) I used a small brush and Pearl Ex powders to "paint" the colors on, then baked the buttons. Pretty, huh? You can also use acrylics to paint the buttons after baking, but they can stay sticky for a while. A coat of varnish (they make some especially for clay) usually helps. I plan to coat my buttons with varnish so the powders won't rub off.