How to Make Big Concrete Button Hooks – Easy DIY

Every once in a while, my scheming, overactive imagination comes up with a plan that turns out way better than I imagined. It happened when I built our cracked-up window planter and a few weeks ago when I made these easy, BIG concrete button hooks.

Aren’t they just sew cool? Sorry I couldn’t resist 😀

The concrete button hooks can be made in many different sizes……

…. and can be used to decorate a craft room, laundry, or anywhere you want to hang a few of your favorite things. By making a small adjustment they can even be used as stepping stones 😀

Okay, before I show you how to make your own big concrete buttons, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

• Quick setting concrete mix
• Cooking spray or concrete mold release
• 4 x pens, skewers, or markers
• 2 x 2 or Scrap wood. I used our cockatiels’ old wooden ladder that they nibbled on 😉
• Wall screw and anchor plug (Fischer plug) for hanging
• Drill
• Deep round, plastic drip tray. Look for ones that have a ridge on the inside

How to make big concrete button hooks

The key to making these large concrete buttons is using a drip tray as the mold. If you don’t have any drip trays you can use this sand mold tutorial to make something similar. Depending on the type of drip trays you’re using you may need to get rid of some of the lettering. My small drip tray only had a slightly raised print on the bottom, but the larger tray had a whole bunch of large raised letters on the bottom. Not quite what I wanted on my concrete button hooks. Just use some 80-grit sandpaper to get rid of those markings.

Adding Button Holes

Measure the depth of your drip trays. My small drip tray is 3 cm deep, while the larger one is just under 4cm deep. Cut a piece of scrap wood that’s 5 – 6 cm (2″) longer than the depth.

Make sure the ends of the piece of wood are level. Tape the pens or skewers to the sides of the scrap wood. You want about 1 cm (7/8″) of the pen to stick out from the bottom of the scrap wood. Place the tape as high up the scrap wood as you can to secure the pens.

Prep your drip tray and the bottom of the pens for the concrete mix by spraying it with WD40 or cooking spray. I forgot when I made the first big button, which is why it looks so rough 😀

Place the pens and scrap wood in the center of your drip tray. You can use small glue dots to keep them in place.

Adding the Concrete

Mix up a batch of quick-setting concrete according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Carefully pour the concrete mixture inside the drip tray, so you don’t disturb the pens.

Fill her up to the brim 😀 Gently tap the drip tray to release any air bubbles.

Demolding and finishing up

Wait for the concrete to set completely before removing the tape and gently prying the pens loose.

Wriggle the button around and remove it from the drip tray. It should come out quite easily if you remembered the release agent. If it feels stuck use a craft knife to score around the edges until you feel it pull free.

If the edges are rough, use a little sandpaper to smooth them out.

Drill a hole in the top center of the piece of wood. The hole needs to be big enough to fit a long wall screw. Cut the head off a screw, put a small amount of glue inside the hole and insert the headless side of the screw inside the hole.

String some leather cord, wool, or twine through the holes to mimic thread.

Drum roll….Dum, de, de, dum, dum, dum…… your oversized concrete button hooks are done. So easy, right?

How to hang the concrete button hooks

Here in South Africa most of our homes have concrete/brick walls so putting the buttons up is as easy as drilling a hole in the wall, inserting a plastic thingy anchor plug, and screwing the button into the hole.

For drywalls, you can drill a hole into a stud, insert the anchor plug and then screw the concrete button in. If you need to hang the button where there’s no stud, pre-screw a drywall anchor onto the screw. Then drill a 5/16” hole in the wall where you want the hook to go before installing the drywall anchor and button.

If you like the idea of making your own big concrete button hooks, don’t forget to pin them for later

Sharing is caring 😉

Want some more easy concrete projects? Then you’ll love this pear with the cutest butt EVER and these easy concrete arch candleholders.

Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.