Sew Sweet
Vintage Button Chocolate molds are back in the shop! And in case you were wondering how to use that fancy, new mold of yours, here is a complete tutorial for making your own sweet little button candies, plus a free print-out you can use to package them up when you’re all done!
(follow the link below to get the full scoop!)
(PS: Click here for a printer-friendly instruction sheet without all of the huge photographs!)
Here’s what you will need:
Button Mold
Chocolate or Candy Melts*
Candy flavoring (optional)
Zip-lock or sandwich bags
Microwave safe bowls
Spoons
Scissors
Microwave and freezer
*For this tutorial, I used colorful candy melts because they are super-easy to use and very yummy. Can you use real chocolate? You bet! But keep in mind that real chocolate needs to be tempered so it will set properly and be shiny, hard and smooth. (Tempering isn’t too difficult, but it takes some practice, so we’ll save that tutorial for another day!) Candy melts are a great alternative, and some are much tastier than others – so shop around. I carry Clasen Brand melts in my shop because I think they have a great flavor and texture, lovely range of colors, and a price that’s affordable. Candy melts have a sweet, vanilla flavor, and you can easily add a drop of candy flavoring to jazz things up a little. The chocolate and dark chocolate melts are, well, chocolaty-tasting, of course! And you can absolutely add flavoring to them, too.
OK, let’s get to it, shall we?
Place your candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. You can melt as little or as many wafers at a time as you like. Since the button molds are very tiny, start with a small handful. Microwave for 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each. Don’t be surprised if nothing happens the first few intervals, it will take some time and you do not want to scorch your chocolate, so go slow.
…not there yet
…almost
Yay! Nice and drizzly. The total microwave time for a small amount like this was about 2 minutes, but all microwaves vary – so you’ll have to figure out what works best for you. To fill the mold: spoon the melted chocolate into a small plastic sandwich or ziplock bag, cut the tip off, and use it to “pipe” the chocolate into the mold.
Don’t worry, the chocolate should not be hot, just warm. You could use a real pastry bag and tip, too, but if you are using several colors, the sandwich bags make clean-up so much easier!
Squeeze gently and try not to over-fill. This is easier said than done, but you’ll get the hang of it.
“But they look all lumpy and gloppy?” you may be thinking. A few firm taps on the counter top should fix that right up. Don’t be shy, tap-away! It will make the backs nice and flat, and get rid of any pesky air bubbles.
Ahh. Much better. I did the other half of the mold with red candy wafers, using the same melting process as before. This time, when the chocolate was all melted, I added a drop of blackberry flavoring oil.
I used a leftover lolly pop stick to add just ONE drop of flavoring, and that was absolutely all it needed! This candy flavoring is no joke, people – it’s concentrated for real. Please go easy, you don’t want to over-do it. And ONLY use oil flavorings made for candy. Never add any water or waterbased colors or flavors to melted chocolate! You will get a lumpy, chalky, mess that will make you very sad.
Once all of the cavities are filled and tapped, it’s time to put your mold in the freezer for a few minutes to set-up your candy. Since these are so small, it should only take a minute or two. You can tell they are ready when no part of the mold is warm, and the buttons pop out relatively easily when inverted.
Large, simple-shaped molds slide out easy-peasy, but sometimes these little buttons don’t like to come out at first. Don’t be afraid to wiggle, tap, and bend (slightly) your mold to free the buttons. These molds are pretty durable, they can take it. However, if you have left your mold in the freezer for a very long time (which I don’t recommend anyway) do NOT try to bent it! It could snap or crack.
There you have it! Gorgeous, life-like, delicious buttons. Your friends will be amazed. If you are ready to make another batch, rinse out your mold (if needed) and make sure it’s completely dry before you use it again. Never put your mold in the dishwasher, and avoid soaking it in soapy water for extended amounts of time.
There are probably millions of adorable ways to package these tiny treats, but I think they look very nice in small glassine bags, and I created these cute labels you can add to the top. I was inspired by real, retro button cards, and I created four different designs for you to mix and match. You can easily print them onto any paper, cut them out, fold them over, and staple to the top of the bag. The back is blank so you can add a personal message. Click on the image below for the free high-resolution PDF print out!
Please print and use these tags as often as you like! I sized them to fit the one ounce glassine bags or also the tiny flat cello bags. I printed mine on plain computer paper, so they were easy to fold over and staple to the bags. I hope you have as much fun making these candy buttons as I did! I even saved a few for cupcake topping later on. There are so many uses for them, I’m sure all of you will have some clever ideas! Please snap a few photos of your creations and email them to me. I’d love to see what you make, and add your photos to the shop gallery!
January 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
you are wonderful! Going to go and order the mold now, cannot wait!
January 24th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Wow, thanks for the tutorial. I need these! Just looking through the website to see what else I need!
January 24th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Wow! I love those…that is so a clever idea…thanks so much for sharing…
January 25th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Thank you so much for the download! Payday can not come soon enough. I can not wait to purchase the candy mold. My father-in-law has collected button all his life and I think this would be a fantastic gift for him.
January 27th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Love the pdf, so cute.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I just ordered the button mold and glissline bags. I cant wait to make these. They look like so much fun, and im sure my daughter will be a big fan!
January 30th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Hello. I am going to check it, since I saw a comment in another site regarding \”Blog Archive\”. Someone related to easy chocolate treats. Thanks anyway.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:00 pm
i love those little candy buttons!
xx
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:03 am
I found your site via the Crafty Crow, and wanted to say how fabulous everything is in the shop. I love the button mould and the lovely cupcake cases, and everything is jsut so lovely, it makes me want to get baking in the kitchen. Which admittedly isn’t that difficult as I made an apple cake lastnight. I have bookmarked you!
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Thanks for the pdf – such a cute way to package these darlings!
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:10 am
Your shop is WONDERFUL! I adore your button mould and your sweet bakery boxes. Next time I bake shortbread I am definitely buying some clear crystal sugar!!! I think I also need a teapot cookie cutter and half the other items in your shop!
Hugs from Vancouver, Canada
Laurraine
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
i used to make chocolates as a kid. so much fun. thanks for including the labels.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:45 pm
I want to eat them now! So shiny and fabulous!
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
I am in love with the button mold! I have way too many real buttons, so I guess it is about time for some chocolate ones.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
AAAACk! Awesome!
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:32 pm
How lovely! I have 2 questions…
1. Do the candy melts have any trace of wheat/gluten products in them?
2. Can you mix two of the colors… say white and green… to make a light green?
I’m so excited to try this out for my wedding!
February 4th, 2009 at 5:22 am
I think you did a great job writing Blog Archive. Bravo.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
your shop is fantastic! i absolutely love those button molds like everyone else.
i’ve bookmarked your site and hope to do some shopping soon.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Does anyone know if these can be frozen, or stored if their in an air tight container? I’m wondering how far in advance of my wedding I Can whip these up!
February 4th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Thanks so much, everyone!
Evie:
1. The candy melts I carry say on the label, “This product is packaged and prepared using machines that may come in contact with wheat/gluten, eggs, dairy, peanuts, soy and tree nuts.” I try to be mindful of dietary allergies and such, so in the future I hope I can carry wheat-free and vegan/vegetarian variates….I’m working on it!
2. YES! You can easily mix the melts to make different colors. You can also use Flo-coat and gel color to tint the white chocolate melts, but do a few test-runs with this method first…it can be a little tricky.
3. Storage. I would not recommend freezing or refrigerating finished candies. I’m sure you could store them in in a cool, dark, dry place for a good while. They’d be fine. Just separate the candies between layers of parchment or wax paper. Try not to tousle them around too much or they’ll lose some of their shine!
February 4th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
[...] these candy buttons are too cute to eat! check out how to make your own vintage button candies! [...]
February 5th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Hi!
I just adore these buttons! But I don’t have a microwave..Can I just Do it over hot water on the stove?
Mahalo for best ever crafty project ever!!
February 5th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Rachel: YES! You can absolutely use a double broiler on the stove, or a special chocolate melter, if you’re extra fancy
February 5th, 2009 at 9:29 am
adorable!
February 5th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
[...] right away! You can buy the candy mold at Bake It Pretty for just $2.25 and then hop over to the Bake It Pretty Blog for a tutorial and some pretty print yourself [...]
February 8th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
just ordered these and can’t wait! your packaging is so cute. i’m dying!
February 8th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Oh, how cute and clever!!
February 10th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Gorgeous work! Thanks so much for sharing.
February 10th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Hello webmaster. Nice! Really caouldn\’t agree more REGARDING \”Blog Archive\”. I really liked it a lot. Try candy gift box. Thanks.
February 10th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Hello webmaster. I am going to check it, since I saw a comment in another site regarding \”Blog Archive\”. Someone related to candy cases. Thanks anyway.
February 11th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I just found your website through Oh Happy Day and what a happy day it is! I have been wracking my brain for a basket idea for my children’s public school benefit auction and a cupcake one filled with the beautiful products you offer will be a definite hit! Thank you.
February 12th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
I love your tutorial. You make it look so pretty & easy. I hope you don’t mind but I blogged about your wonderful tutorial! I can’t believe you made your own labels. You are so clever.
You can heck it out here: http://secretstitchclub.blogspot.com/
February 12th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
My son and I just made some of these to top our Valentines cupcakes with. Red and white melts, and some mixed to make pink. They turned out great, though they were a bit tough to pop out of the mold (especially the flowery shaped ones!). I experimented with dropping a little bit of colored sugar crystals in the dome shaped molds before piping the candy in. They came out sparkly-fancy looking like those old buttons with the rhinestones in the middle. Very fun!
February 13th, 2009 at 5:56 am
I love the tip about the sparkle sugar,I’m going to try that as soon as my molds arrive.A small tip on melting the choc melts . I’ve always put the melts or chocolate directly in the ziplock,then microwave in bursts: I just massage the bag,instead of stirring.It’s much neater than trying to get the melted product into the bag.Love this website! Cheers from NZ Karen Brown
February 15th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
oh my gosh! these are so adorable!!! love love love them!
February 17th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
[...] photostream on Flickr but you can find the step-by-step tutorial and the freebie labels from the Bake It Pretty blog here. [...]
February 24th, 2009 at 7:09 am
[...] check out her blog for fun tutorials like this one on how to make button-shaped candies. Also, be sure to check out the picture gallery on her website [...]
February 24th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
[...] on The Small Object? Learn how to make these fancy little guys and download free labels at the Candy Buttons 101 tutorial over on the Bake It Pretty [...]
February 25th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Will these be back in the shop soon?
February 26th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hi, I am in the UK and would love to order a mould (mold?!) Do you have a waiting list?
Also, what are Candy Melts?? I need help translating that into UK English!
March 24th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I had to special order the molds for my daughter, it will be 4 weeks to get them. In 2009, I can hardly believe it!
March 29th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Thanks so very much for sharing this great tutorial!
Those are absolutely precious and so very easy! I bet even I could make them?
Can’t wait to try it out!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
These are fantastic!!! I am in love with this idea *winks*
April 9th, 2009 at 2:40 am
mm… luv it
April 9th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I bought the mold today and it just can’t get here fast enough!
Thanks for the tutorial!
April 30th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
brilliant, love the printable cards¬
xo
May 8th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
[...] is a most decadent delight! Image via Bake It Pretty blog. Hopefully it’s okay to use
See the Bake It Pretty Candy Buttons 101 for instructions on how to melt candy melts and make some [...]
May 18th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Hi I really enjoy the information you have made available on your site. Recently my wife and I started a small online food storage business called foodstoragedepot.com I was wondering if you would be willing to add a link to our site on your home page. Our goal is to help as many people be prepared for any type of food emergency they may encounter. In exchange for linking to our site we would love to offer you some free bread mix. Check us out and let me know if this interests you. launeyivers@gmail.com
May 29th, 2009 at 8:53 am
[...] DIY candy buttons from Bake it Pretty. [...]
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
I LOVE these! SO cute!
I am doing a post tomorrow about them with links back here. Is that ok?
September 10th, 2009 at 10:56 am
I am planning on buying 4 pounds of candy (4 different color melts- 1 lb bags each) from your site along with the mold and the creme de menthe flavoring (among other things- I’m falling in love with so many things on your site!). How many times will I be able to use this mold set with 4 lbs of candy melts? Basically, I’m wondering how many buttons can be made from a pound of candy. Any idea? Thanks so much!
September 15th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Rena,
Each mold has about 65 button cavities – they are very life-like, and some are pretty tiny.
One pound of melting wafers will fill the vintage button mold about 8 times. (That’s pretty conservative really, it’s probably more like 10 or more – the buttons are quite small!)
Basically, you can make A LOT of buttons with 4 pounds of chocolate melts.
I hope that helps!
~Amanda
September 17th, 2009 at 7:10 am
These are SO cute!!!!
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
[...] to scare you! I’ve already written up direction on making these fantastic candy buttons, (you can find that post here) but I just had a major “duh” moment last week when I discovered an even simpler way to [...]
December 1st, 2009 at 1:23 pm
These are so cute, I love them!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 8:38 am
Adorable!!! These little buttons make me soooo happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this idea/tutorial with all of us out here.
February 1st, 2010 at 8:52 am
These are so cute. I can not wait to try these myself!!
February 1st, 2010 at 8:53 am
I love these! I haven’t worked with the molds yet and am going to give it a try.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:25 am
Love the idea….and I love to bake and cook..melt even easier how adorable!!! Thanks for sharing this! jenn
February 1st, 2010 at 10:50 am
Wow! I mean over the top wow. This is the absolute cutest thing and so creative. I’m not sure what I’ll use them for, but I’m (sew) going to try this. Okay okay stupid joke, but I had to try it. Thak you for sharing your talent and creativity with us.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:09 am
LOVE THIS!! I just placed an oder~ love love love your site!!!!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 12:05 pm
These candy buttons are the cutest. Since I like making things look pretty more than anything else, these buttons will be another cute addition to my collection of unique decorating items.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:18 pm
The mold is only 2.25?? Surely that’s a typo!! They are too cute, I must try!
February 1st, 2010 at 1:03 pm
These buttons are adorable- makes me want to clear everything on my schedule today and spend the whole day in the kitchen. I am just as excited about the printable tags! I love coming up with a cute way to package and display any cute craft!
February 1st, 2010 at 1:22 pm
What a great idea!!!
February 1st, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Baking sweets or making them look pretty? To me those two things go hand in hand. I bake almost everyday and take the goods to work, and they are so appreciative! These button candies are about the most adorable thing I’ve seen in a while and can’t wait to get started on them. To me with these, you have sweets that have no choice but to be pretty! Keep up the good work.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I think those are so cute, I think I can handle making those, it is just the sugar cookies that I have a hard time with. But I will keep trying….
February 1st, 2010 at 9:45 pm
These are so cute! I’ve found that chocolate pops out of molds more easily if each cavity is polished (rubbed) well with a soft cotton cloth like a dish towel both before filling the first time and between fillings. I chill mine after filling them and usually don’t have trouble with the chocolate releasing. Try giving your chilled molds a good hard whack on a covered surface.
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Wonderful tutorial! Thanks for sharing.
February 6th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Very nice job, can’t wait to make them!!
February 13th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
[...] be fooled, those are made out of CANDY! See the Bake It Pretty Blog to see how to use the candy button molds. Popcorn Box Cupcake [...]
February 21st, 2010 at 7:35 pm
These are adorable! So inspiring too. I’ll definitely make sure to try these. Thanks very much!
February 26th, 2010 at 4:29 am
[...] at work! Angie-stubs-pants made the cake and i made the chocolate buttons ( i got the mold from bake it pretty ) We stuffed our faces and now feel okay about the fact that we didn’t get to go to the design [...]
February 26th, 2010 at 4:34 am
hi there, i loved making my button molds, SO much fun and very quick! Have a look at the first button candies i made. the green colour was a little off ( i only had powder colouring to use) but look here: http://www.buttoncandy.org/?p=1144
March 1st, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Our baker for our wedding (which was a week ago) did the white chocolate buttons for us and they were fantastic! I don’t have professional wedding photos back yet but here are a few pictures from us/our guests.
http://samandrena.shutterfly.com/553
http://samandrena.shutterfly.com/546
My deceased godmother, who I am named after, used to keep a cut glass jar of old buttons by her chair for when she did her mending. As a child, I loved to dump the buttons out and look through them so this was a nice way to remember her on our wedding day.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I made a batch of these today and cannot get over how adorable they are! But I had a little bit of trouble getting them out of the mold, especially the smallest buttons. I rapped the mold many times and that helped, but about half of them refused to come out. Is it possible to spray the mold lightly with cooking spray before filling it? Any suggestions?
Thanks!
March 11th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Hilda- So glad you are enjoying the mold!
They should release better the more you use the mold, it ill get sort of “seasoned.” You can try to lightly grease the mold, if you use a spray like Pam be sure to rub it around with a dry cloth otherwise there will be little flecks in your buttons where the spray drops are, (I know becasue it happened to me!) Also be sure your chocolates are totally cool and set before you release them, they will pop out much better. Use the freezer setting method.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Ah! Thank you so much. I think I just need a little bit more practice too. I am absolutely loving these and plan to get a few more molds soon!
xo H
March 19th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I modified the template (and saved time with pre-made button candy) and made them to tuck in workshop schwag bags for my business. The printing company Moo.com featured them today (photo included), crediting you with the inspiration!
http://www.moo.com/blog/2010/03/19/sweet-idea-for-a-promotion/
I can’t say THANK YOU enough!
May 26th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I’m using a button theme for my wedding and came across your molds! I can’t wait to use them for my favors!! Do you have any idea how many times you can fill a mold with a bag of melts?
May 26th, 2010 at 11:20 pm
Thank you for this tutorial. I linked to it here: http://piccolinadesigns.blogspot.com/2010/05/printable-for-you.html
May 30th, 2010 at 3:14 am
Sorry for the huge review, but I am really loving the new green supply bags. These bags have some many nice and cute drawings. And of course, thanks for the reviews here that made us changed from using regular eco bags to green foldable bags.
June 5th, 2010 at 10:40 am
These buttons are adorable and look so easy. I am just starting to get into baking and decorating. Thanks for the tutorials. Very easy to follow.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Cool PDF. Your article made me soo hungry and i need sweets right NOW !
August 26th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
[...] at Bake It Pretty to buy my melts and my molds. You can follow the instructions on their blog on how to melt the candy. It’s a bit easier with these larger molds – you can just pour the melted candy into [...]