Make a button Yin-Yang

A friend asked me to create a zen piece for her.  I thought about what Zen means to me and how I go about finding my Zen.  For me Zen means being aware of your oneness and at peace with your surroundings.  That whenever you close your eyes to reflect on what you have done, or what you intended to do, you have, in a way, practiced Zen. To many, the Yin-Yang symbolizes balance and Zen is the peace that comes from being one, being whole. So when I think of Zen in a physical form I think of the Yin-Yang. The Yin-Yang represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work.The outer circle represents “everything”, while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called “yin” (black) and “yang” (white), which cause everything to happen.  When I looked at the pictures of where I go to find my Zen I noticed the blues of the water and the green of the flora. With those colors in mind, I decided to make a Yin-Yang to hang in my studio to remind me of my inner peace.   To make a piece similar to this you can choose from a great variety of button colors and combination color sets at Buttons Galore and More. 

Tools to Make a button Yin-Yang:

Scissors, Pallet knife or tongue depressor, small container, paint brush, pencil
Materials: Olive and Seaglass buttons, Olive microbeads, red tape, DIY Bangles 12″ craft ring, Jaquard Lumiere Paint- Metallic Olive Green, Plaster of Paris, cardstock

Directions to Make a button Yin-Yang:

1.  Base coat craft ring.  Let paint dry.  Mix paint into plaster of paris.  Mix well.  Spread on ring.  Allow plaster to dry thoroughly.

2. Painted interior and exterior edges and dry brush the top of the ring.

3. Trace center of the craft ring onto the paper.  Freehand draw a Yin-Yang in the center of the cardstock.  Cover the center with red tape.

 

 

4.  Burnish the edges of the tape.  Place the ring on the paper.  Remove the red tape and place the buttons on the paper.  Pour on microbeads.  Use fingers to press into place.  Tap off excess beads.