button collecting and crafting

Buttons are so much more than just little " fasteners" of clothing. As any button collector will tell you, they are rich in color, materials and style. The truly old ones are like miniature antiques and speak of art, traditions, craftsmanship and family lineage. Oh, if buttons could talk! Can you imagine the  stories of adventure and long forgotten times they might tell... from the old brass buttons on a soldier's uniform to the highly prized jet buttons which decorated the black silk dresses of the Victorian age. Or maybe they would tell a little bit of our own tale: our grandmother's buttons from her wedding dress or even the little plastic bunny button that fastened a favorite purple jumper in the 1970's (ahem, that would be mine).

When I tweeted that my children and I were sorting through my mother's button collection, the response was universal... "I remember doing that as a child!" Her collection is quite vast now, compared to the little basket I upturned onto the floor as a girl. But I still found my old favorites shining through the masses as if they glowed! My daughter actually found those bunnies!

Trays are very useful for spreading out bunches of buttons and still keeping them contained. In our case, they also kept them from slipping through the cracks of the front porch. Sorting, counting, crafting... there are endless ways to enjoy buttons together. I always love to check out Lil Fish Sudios to see what Lisa has been up to on her button mondays. Some day soon we'll make Martha's button stamps.  Google button crafts, and you'll find a plethora of ideas. And of course, Amazon has dozens of button books.

So what did we do with all that inspiration? Easy, fun, instant-pleasure kind of button crafting!
We made stretchy bracelets

After arranging buttons of choice in a pattern, string them on an elastic cord by "poking up through the pretty side and the down through the pretty side", as chanted by my girl throughout each bracelet she made. Tie it on your wrist. Petting a sleepy cat is optional.

We also created some interchangeable hair pins. In the past, I made these more permanent by sewing a button to the end of a clip: very sweet and simple. But on this day we tried using buttons with shanks, instead of holes, for immediate success.

Just slip a bobby pin through the shank and voila! Oh, look there is that bunny! Can you guess who might like to wear this little one?

Who doesn't love an instant hair accessory: a lovely bit of vintage charm to tie back tresses?  Each button will adhere to the pin differently, depending on the shank. Some will be loose, others snug... but as soon as they slide onto your hair they are fixed place like a little bit of magic. We think the center photo looks a little bit like a cluster of lollipops!

Look for button collections at thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. Do you collect buttons, also? Did your mother? I'd love to hear some of your button stories.