How To Help Ensure Your Buttons Won't Pop Off!

Hello friends! I'm doing a little follow-up post today about my coffee table turned swanky ottoman.  First off, a big thanks to Lindsey over at "Better After" for sharing my ottoman makeover!

 A couple of the comments on her post, by her readers, actually inspired this little follow up post.  I noticed a couple of people had voiced concern about how the hot glue would hold up, and feared the buttons may pop off with regular use.  So... I thought hmmmm, maybe I should have gone over that part a little better, in the "how to".  So here goes! : )

There is a way to help ensure there will be no popping off of the buttons.  I mentioned in my "how to post", to use the longer heavy duty staples, but let me go a little further into detail about how to do it.  It's best to cross your staples.  One going vertically, and one going horizontally. Do a couple of crosses like this to create a small "well" in your upholstery and foam.  This also helps to keep the staples from tearing through your fabric, and there is less stress on each staple, so it less likely they will pull out.  Another thing that popped into mind about this step, is the amount of pressure put behind your stapler while stapling.  Some people are going to be able to push down harder than others.  The harder you push down the better. If you have a hard time putting a lot of pressure behind your stapler, use a hammer to make sure the staples are in good.

Now you're ready for your glue.  Here's a tip for when you're applying your hot glue.  Place a piece of paper with a small hole cut in it over the spot where you want to apply your glue.  It helps keep the glue off your fabric, and you can wipe the nose of the glue gun on the paper when you're done filling the hole, so there will be no mess.

I use a piece of construction paper, and a quarter.  Draw a circle around the quarter, fold the paper in the middle of the circle, so that you can still see your drawing, and cut the "half moon" shape out.  Open up the paper and you'll have a perfect hole.

You want to fill the "well" (you've created by stapling) with the hot glue.  Use a good bit of glue, but be sure not to put so much that it squishes out the sides when you put your button down.

Then put your button in the "well" of glue.  Press the button down into the glue while it's drying.

Hot glue holds up well when it comes to upholstery.  Matter of fact, upholsterers use hot glue or "hot melt glue" as some call it, to attach gimp, double welt, and other trims, over staples that hold the fabric to show wood frames.  So, no need to worry about the glue cracking up and falling off.  Also, the buttons on this ottoman sit down in the "foam well" created with your staples, so you won't really be hitting them often.  Sitting down on them regularly shouldn't be a problem either, unless you are sliding your butt back and forth, over and over and over and over and over again...   hmmmm.  : )  ok, minds out of the gutter!  But even then, you should still be OK.  I have tried to pull a button off that was done like this, and I couldn't get the darn thing off to save my life.  Had to break out the utility knife and still had a hard time. Not kidding!

Things that I think WOULD make your buttons pop off are, 

• not using long enough staples,
• not making sure your staples are firmly secured in the board, not pressing down hard enough when using the stapler, 
• not hitting the staples with a hammer to make sure they are in good, and 
• not using enough glue behind your buttons.

Of course you can always go with drilling holes and tying your buttons down.  That is a great way to do it.  But, if you're looking for an easier way that will still hold up pretty well and you don't have to break out the power tools, this way should do the trick.

Hope this helps!

Smiles!

Sammy,

~Renew Redo~