How to Make Button Cuff Links
Cuff links offer a more formal and decorative way to fasten together the two sides of a shirt's cuffs. Men who frequently wear suits and tuxedos might even collect cuff links, as they come in a variety of styles. Make your own cuff links to either wear yourself, or to give as a gift to a groom, young man going to prom or your husband celebrating a recent promotion. Fashion the cuff links from materials found at craft and fabric stores in less than an hour.
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Things You'll Need
- 22-gauge wire
- Ruler
- Wire snips
- Round nose pliers
- 4 shank buttons
- Needle nose pliers
- Scissors
- 4 flat buttons
- Wooden skewer
- Needle
- Thread
Instructions
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Shank Buttons
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1
Measure and cut two 1-inch-long pieces of 22-gauge wire with wire snips.
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2
Curl one 1/2-inch half of the wire in a hook in one direction with round-nosed pliers. Curl the other 1/2-inch half of the wire in a hook in the opposite direction, so the wire looks like an S. Do this for both pieces of wire.
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3
Slide each hooked end of both wires through the shank of a button.
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4
Finish curling the hooks around so they form a loop. Pinch each loop closed with needle-nosed pliers.
Flat Buttons
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5
Measure and cut two 18-inch-long pieces of string. Thread one end of one of the strings through a needle. Bring the ends of the string together and tie them in a knot.
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6
Put two of your flat buttons together back-to-back with the holes of the buttons lined up. Push the needle and thread through one set of corresponding holes, leaving a 2-inch long tail or string.
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7
Push the needle and thread through the corresponding holes diagonal to the first set if your flat buttons have four holes, or just the other set of holes if they only have two. Pull the two buttons apart just enough to slide a wooden skewer between them. This gives you the gap between the two buttons, necessary for the cuff of the shirt to fit between. Hold the button and skewer sandwich together while you finish sewing the two buttons together. Sew in an X for four-hole buttons and a straight line for two-hole buttons.
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8
Stop sewing when you have only a couple inches of thread left and are on the same side of the cuff link as the original 2-inch-thread tail. Snip the thread from the needle and tie the two tails together with a double knot. Trim the tails of the knot. Repeat the whole process with the second set of flat buttons to complete your set of cuff links.
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1
References
- Photo Credit button frame image by Alex White from Fotolia.com
