Custom Plush Easy Button

with personalized Mother's Day message or any message. Do you have the voice of somebody that only a mother can love and needs to be heard over and over again? This is the perfect gift for giving to someone who would appreciate a personalized message from their dear offspring or you just want to hear yourself talk.

Another after-dinner project that I did by firing up the sewing machine and serger. Fret not if you only have a needle and thread. This can be done entirely by hand.

That was easy.

WARNING: Contains small parts that may be a choking hazard to small children or curious adults. Supervise when in use.

Step 1: Rawr materials

You will need pieces of felt or similarly sturdy material to make your custom plush button.
You can use any colors but I had red for the button and pink for the base.

Some stiff cardboard

Fiberfill stuffing or polyester-batting for the plush part.

I also had a strip of some soft foam packaging that was perfect to use as the stuffing for the border of the base .


You will need a sound recording/playback device.

I had found these L'il Reminder recorder thingy key-fobs. They usually go on sale during Christmas as stocking stuffers for the senior folks to remind them where they parked the car. They come in a two pack so they are great for making more than one.

You can build your own but it was just as easy as using one I already had.

Comments

[Derin]

*Insert easy button press here* That was caitlin.

[Eruaphadriel]

can you use something else for the L'il Reminder thing? because i cant fine any of those lil' reminder things

[caitlinsdad]

I did not want to build a voice recorder/playback chip thingy. There are circuit kits/modules that you can buy online if you want to do some electronics. I have this other keychain thing that is a voice recorder toy and it can also morph or change the pitch of the voice called "Yada Yada Yada". I found that at a Wal-mart. The L'il Reminder things are at big pharmacies near the "as seen on TV" products. Too bad those chips in greeting cards are usually not hackable. Good luck.

[DJ Radio]

Lol, I got a shoutout! 5*, and faved!

[dunnos]

may i ask how you kept the button from falling out? ty

[caitlinsdad]

The excess material around the top button gets folded over so you squeeze fit it into the base. The felt fabric makes a nice friction fit. It just takes a light tap to activate the device. It will push in further so you have to pull it up every once in a while and reposition it since there is no real spring to bounce it back up.

[dunnos]

aww, bummer i am making right now for my mom but i need to come up with something to make it stay in place. sigh maybe i'll use some wires coming from the inside

[caitlinsdad]

The cardboard for the top button has to just loosely fit in place in the bottom part. The thickness of the fabric should fill the gap. Maybe you can just punch a few holes in the base and put a tie-wrap through, loop it and adjust to fit.

[dunnos]

making one right now*

[caitlinsdad]

well, well, you finished? Make sure you post a pic.

[dunnos]

jup, finished. but it looks so awful that i'd rather not post a bpic *blush*

[forsakendoll13]

sweet! a wonderful idea as a unique gift for mother's day!

[caitlinsdad]

Thanks, I wanted to do something that most everyone can make.

[crampedyogapositions]

isn't it to fragile if made from cardboard?

[caitlinsdad]

The form is cut from corrugated shipping box cardboard. It is quite stiff. Thinner stuff like from IKEA boxes may need to be doubled for stiffness. I covered a lot of the edges and surface with packaging tape. You get the same feel like the brim of a baseball cap. You wouldn't stomp on it but it will hold up. You could make it from thin plywood or plastic but it is not necessary.

[Tape-structable]

Sweeet. The names are interchangeable right?

[caitlinsdad]

for purposes of illustration only...or did you mean - yes, you can write anything you want on your button.

[Tape-structable]

Nevermind. I thought the names were velcroed so they could allow for quick easy change. I misread the first time, I read now that it was glued on. Thanks!

[caitlinsdad]

You could velcro a nametag just like military uniforms. That way you can change it to suit whatever message you record. Have fun!

[Lithium Rain]

Bahahahaha! :'D

[scoochmaroo]

My brother and I discussed doing something similar - by way of making a sewn facsimilie of ourselves with a message saying "I'm sorry" "I love you" "You're so right"

[caitlinsdad]

I guess you could try an iron-on transfer to put an image of anything on the top button. You could also make the button heart-shaped or Nacho-dogbone-shaped too. Thanks.

[gmjhowe]

Haha! I love the inner sanctum button variations!

[caitlinsdad]

If you're not having fun, you're not trying hard enough.