Button Paperclip Bookmark | DIY Tutorial

A set of six button paperclip bookmarks with various fantasy characters attached: a smiling yellow flower, a smiling mushroom, a smiling purple flower, a fairy, a dragon, and a unicorn

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I’ve never done too much crafting with buttons, but I still like to occasionally browse down the button area when I’m shopping at the local craft stores. There are always so many fun styles and colors that I mostly have no use for, but you never know when inspiration might hit you.

My very favorite part of the button area is the decorative buttons that come in all kinds of shapes like animals, food, etc. Although I don’t have much use for them as buttons, in the past I’ve used them to craft simple little things like magnets and pins.

So when I decided to make some tutorials on different embellishments that could be added to a paperclip to turn it into a fun bookmark, my mind immediately came back to these types of buttons. I even already had a package on hand with an assortment of cute fantasy characters that I thought would look perfect as a little bookmark.

These little paperclips are so fast and easy to whip up that you can make a bunch of them in a single sitting. A button paperclip bookmark would look perfect sticking out of a good book or just used as a regular paperclip would, but with a fun little character on top.

The text "How to make a button paperclip bookmark DIY tutorial" above six paperclips with different fantasy themed buttons attached

What You Will Need to Make a Button Paperclip Bookmark

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Materials:

Felt Scrap

Button

Paperclip

A square of white felt, a unicorn shaped button, and a white paperclip

Tools:

Button Shank Remover

Hot Glue Gun

Hot Glue Stick

Scissors

A button shank remover, a glue gun, and scissors

How to Make a Button Paperclip Bookmark

Step 1: Remove Button Loop

First you need to prepare your button by removing the loop on the back side. When I first started this project I wasn’t intending on removing the loop at all. I thought that I could slip the paperclip through the hole and after gluing it might give just a bit more stability. But once I got to crafting I realized that the loop was just too tall and after adding the backing things just wouldn’t sit right. So I decided the best step would be to remove the loop altogether.

The easiest way to get rid of this loop is to use a button shank remover. It looks almost identical to my pair of jewelry wire flush cutters. I’m not sure if there is a difference, so I’ve left each tool dedicated to their advertised purpose, but just wanted to put that out there. I think that if you have any sort of wire flush cutters they will most likely work as well.

To remove the button loop, line up the shank remover against the back of the button and snip the loop off. I’ve only ever used this tool to remove the loops on plastic buttons so I don’t know how they would fare against a metal loop. But for the plastic they easily cut right through with little resistance.

A button shank snipping the loop from the back of a unicorn shaped button

Afterward you are left with a nice smooth back to your button.

A unicorn shaped button with the loop on the back removed

Step 2: Cut Small Circle of Felt

Next, cut a small circle from your scrap of felt. I’m using white mostly to match the color of the paperclip, but you could pick a color to match your button instead. Or you could use a completely different color as a contrast. It’s totally up to you.

The felt circle needs to be small enough that it fits on the button, but still big enough that when the glue is added will have enough space to hold everything securely together. I tried to cut mine as big as they could be without showing on the other side of the button.

Step 3: Glue Felt to Finish Button Paperclip Bookmark

Now it’s time to put everything together. Start by placing your paperclip where you want to attach it to your button. In my opinion, the best way to do this is to place the top curve of the paperclip right where the loop of the button used to be.

A white paperclip placed on the back of a unicorn shaped button with the loop removed

You can position your paperclip any way you like, but if you intend to use it to clip onto anything, the inner loop of the paperclip needs to be facing down, like in the above picture.

Next add a small dab of hot glue right on top of the top of the paperclip.

A glue gun held up to a paperclip and a unicorn shaped button

Be careful how much glue you add and keep in mind that when you add the felt circle it will make the glue spread out a bit.

A unicorn shaped button and paperclip with a blob of hot glue on the back

Carefully place the felt circle over the dab of hot glue and gently press it down. Be careful not to burn yourself, as hot glue burns can hurt more than you think they will (I speak from plenty of experience, unfortunately).

A small circle of felt glued to a paperclip and unicorn shaped button

You might want to use something like a popsicle stick to help press the felt down so your fingers stay away from the glue. Try to make the felt as flat as possible against the back of the button.

A popsicle stick holding down a small circle of felt that is glued to a paperclip and unicorn shaped bookmark

Now set aside your clip to let it dry. The glue hardens up in just a few minutes, but it takes hot glue about 24 hours to fully cure. I would suggest leaving the paperclip to dry for a full day before using it just to make sure the glue stays strong.

When the glue is dry, your button paperclip bookmark is ready to use!

A button paperclip bookmark with a unicorn on top sticking out of a book

Final Thoughts

When I started this project I wasn’t quite sure how a button paperclip bookmark would turn out, but I was very happy with the end results. Even with just a dab of hot glue holding things together, everything feels extremely secure and I don’t feel like it would fall apart easily at all. I’d be plenty confident to clip them onto whatever I needed, even if they might get tossed around, without fear of anything coming apart.

They are so fast and easy to make that it’s actually a little bit addicting. I had six different buttons in the package and was originally only planning on using one or two for this tutorial. Before I knew it, I had used all six, plus a couple of ladybug buttons from a different package (I didn’t get a picture of those ones, though).

Six button paperclip bookmarks with different fantasy characters attached to the tops of the paperclips

Overall I had a lot of fun making these little paperclips and I can’t wait to use them for both bookmarks and also whenever I need a fun little paperclip.

Six button paperclip bookmarks with different fantasy characters clipped onto a piece of cardstock

I hope that you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for stopping by and happy crafting!

Signature "Chel" written in blue colored cursive

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