Monday, October 1, 2012

DONKTOBER - Button Donkey Tutorial


This post is part of Donktober 2012.  For more information please see here.

Welcome to the first post for Donktober - a month full of donkey-related craft and a chance for you to let your hair down and really party your ass off.  Bad pun aside, I hope you will join me in the silliness and make some projects of your own.  We'll be having a link-up next month and I can't wait to see your creations.  More information on that to come.

So, let's kick off with a small tutorial for a button donkey.  I mean, seriously, buttons + donkeys = bliss.  Right?  Right!

DONKEY BUTTON ART - completed and framed

Before we start, though, I would like to point out that this gorgeous idea is not my own - I "borrowed" it (with permission!) from Dot's lovely blog, Busted Buttons.  Thanks Dot!

YOU WILL NEED:

Assorted buttons
Pencil
Watercolour paint
Felt pens - for the mane, tail and grass
Googly (yes, it's a word) eye
Hot glue gunk
Canvas board or stiff card
Card for stencil
Frame

STEP 1 - PREPARE A FOUNDATION:

DONKEY BUTTON ART - Step 1 - Trace & Fill with Watercolour
 
Make a stencil of your donkey and trace it onto your canvas (yes, you may use the same donkey as me).  Fill in your design with paint - matching the colour of your buttons.  This creates a solid foundation to glue your buttons to.

STEP 2 - GLUE ON THE FIRST LAYER OF BUTTONS:

DONKEY BUTTON ART - Step 2 (half) - Cover painted design with buttons

Using your glue gun, start attaching your buttons to your donkey.  Play with different sizes to help cover the space as much as possible.  Don't stress though - we'll do another layer to help cover the gaps.

You should end up with something like this -

DONKEY BUTTON ART - Step 2 - Cover painted design with buttons

Leave it to dry.

STEP 3 - GLUE ON THE SECOND LAYER OF BUTTONS:

Repeat step 2, above, working to fill in the gaps by overlapping the buttons as you go.

STEP 4 - ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES:

DONKEY BUTTON ART - Step 4 - Glue on eye and draw in mane, tail and grass

Finish off your donkey by attaching an eye; and drawing on a mane, fluffy tail and some grass for him to munch on.  Viola!

Thanks again to Dot of Busted Buttons for letting me re-work her original button elephant, especially for Donktober.  Be sure to stop by to check out her gorgeous creations.  And don't forget to say 'hello'.

Donktober

On the Donktober schedule for this Wesnesday is Becca over at making rebecca lynne.  Be sure to check out her adorable donkey softie, the pattern review and... maybe she'll even spoil you with a giveaway.  Fun!

E.

12 comments:

  1. That is sooo adorable! Would make a great gift, too. Love it, Erin. :) I have a Reuben the Donkey pattern that I won in a giveaway and haven't made yet.. It would be perfect for this. If I could get his ass made in time. hehe :)

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  2. Yay Donktoberfest - and a great way to start. I love buttons!!!! Cute project :)

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  3. Cute as a button donkey (oh wait, we're not comparing bad puns?!)! Great start to Donktober - love this little project!

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  5. Oh! oh! There is a Donktober? I am in completely the right place. Time to bust out some new Donkeys methinks, until then there is always this http://trashaloucan.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/four-donkeys-of-apocalypse.html or even Elvis Donkey http://trashaloucan.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/aloha-ladies-and-gentlemen-all-way-from.html

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  6. eek! this is too perfect! oh, the button-art possibilities! I might need to start a button stash now :)

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  7. Oh this is brilliant! And purple buttons too! Laura's comment is too funny! I will need to build a button stash too :)

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  8. Aww, cute! BTW, has Laura told you of our mating fears on this trip? We're worried we may come home with bonkeys...

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  9. dude...this is freaking cute! damn who knew what buttons and an ass could be together. is that ass pun going to get old? naaaah...

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  10. oh how cute he is, and purple! You can't beat a purple donkey (well you could with a stick, but you shouldn't as that's cruel!)

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