Okay, so I’ve been seeing these brooch pins everywhere lately, and I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to try making some myself, you know, get crafty.
Getting Started
First, I needed supplies. I hit up the local craft store – you know, the one with the overwhelming amount of glitter and beads? Yeah, that one. I grabbed:
- Some plain brooch pin backs. They had a bunch of different sizes, so I got a variety pack.
- Felt. I figured felt would be a good base, easy to work with. I got a few different colors.
- Buttons. All sorts of shapes and sizes. I went a little crazy here.
- Embroidery floss. For some extra detail, you know?
- Glue. The lady at the store recommended some heavy-duty craft glue, so I went with that.
- Scissors. Good ones. I’ve made that mistake before, use the good scissors.
The Messy Middle
Then, I get home, and try to make the magic happen. It was not pretty at first.
I started by cutting out some shapes from the felt. Circles, mostly, because I’m not exactly an artist. Then, I started arranging the buttons on the felt. This part was actually kind of fun, like putting together a little puzzle. I tried to mix and match colors and sizes to make them look interesting.
Once I was happy with the arrangement, I started gluing. And, uh, let’s just say I got a little glue-happy. It was a bit of a mess. I definitely used too much glue on the first one, and it oozed out the sides. Note to self: less is more, especially when it comes to glue!
After the glue dried (mostly), I used the embroidery floss to add some details. I tried to sew around some of the buttons, just to give them a little extra something. My stitching was definitely not perfect, but hey, it added to the “handmade” charm, right?
The (Slightly Wonky) Finish
Finally, I glued the pin backs onto the felt. This was the trickiest part, because I wanted to make sure they were centered and secure. I used a lot of pressure and let them dry overnight, just to be safe.
The next morning, I had a collection of… well, let’s call them “rustic” brooch pins. They weren’t perfect, by any means. Some of the buttons were a little crooked, the glue was a little visible in places, and my stitching was definitely amateur. But you know what? I made them! And they actually looked kind of cute, in a quirky, homemade way.
I’ve been wearing them on my jackets and bags, and I’ve actually gotten a few compliments. People seem to like that they’re unique and handmade. So, yeah, I’d say my brooch pin experiment was a success, even if it was a bit messy along the way. I am happy with my work!
