Tutorial: Handmade Button Knobs

 While hunting for knobs for Henry's dresser makeover I came across some at Anthropologie that I loved the look of, but I was not thrilled with the fact that they are cast resin and wanted something sturdier for a little boy's bedroom.  So, I decided to make my own.

 I really wanted my buttons to look irregular and handmade, so for inspiration I looked at Elsie's hand drawn button decals...

and handmade ceramic buttons like these.

 To make these for yourself you will need to gather the following:
   *2" wooden knobs
   *2" rubber gaskets for the raised edge (you need one of these for each knob)
    *(1) 1.5" rubber gasket to use as a template to trim the 2" gaskets
   *paint and a foam brush
    *x-acto knife
    *krazy glue
    *sand paper (100 grit for rough sanding and 220 grit for finish sanding)
    *spackling paste (not pictured)
    *clear water-based varnish (not pictured)
    *a drill

 Sand the top of the knobs with 100 grit sandpaper to roughen them up.  This will help the glue and the spackle to adhere.

 Use the 1.5" gasket as a template to trim out the middle of all of the 2" gaskets.

 Drill the four button holes (I eyeballed it--measure and mark the spots to drill if you want it to be more uniform), then glue the gasket to the knob.

 

Use the spackling paste to fill in the gap between the gasket and the top of the knob, and spread a thin layer all over the top of the knob.  Once the spackling paste is dry, use 220 grit sandpaper to sand the whole knob and smooth out all of the rough edges. 

 Gently wipe all of the dust and grit from sanding off of the knobs and then use your foam brush to apply a thin layer of paint.  Once the paint is dry use the 220 grit again to gently sand the knobs.  I wanted mine to look distressed, and I really like the black gasket peeking through for some definition around the edges.  After you have sanded to perfection, apply two coats of varnish (according to the manufacturer's instructions).

Once the varnish is dry, your knobs are ready to spruce up your furniture!