Most of us would have tons of sewing odds and ends, and in our trusty little sewing kit will reveal some buttons that are rather long forgotten. Although we normally have what we call spare buttons, you know, just in case we have those wardrobe malfunction moments, oftentimes these buttons remain spares for a very long time. So what can we do with them aside from taking the place of the one that was lost, er, snagged?

Image: Lilly Ella

All together now… transform it into a beautiful piece of wearable art.

Lilly Ella shows us in this tutorial just how economical this project can be, while hers also exude that vintage feel. It’s one cool piece of jewellery that you can truly call your masterpiece.

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Stretch Your Buttons!

Image: sxc.hu

*One lady bought all the buttons my daughter had decided she could part with.  She told me she decorated clothing with them.  At a previous yard sale, a customer said she made Christmas stockings for sale and decorated them with buttons.

*A young man purchased a box of used crayons.  I asked if he had children who enjoyed coloring.

“No,” he replied.  “They’re for me.  I have some coloring book pages and am going to color them to make wrapping paper.”

*Another customer purchased a number of my daughter’s quilting and craft magazines.  I asked what type of crafts she did.

“My children and I are going to cut pictures from these and make collages.”  I remembered doing this when my grandchildren were small.  It makes a nice rainy day project and we’ve been having many summer rainy days this year.

*One lady was excited with the baggie filled with scrapbooking supplies my daughter decided she didn’t use.  Since some of the items were new to her, she asked for ideas on how to use them.

What kinds of crafty ideas do you come up with using your yard sale “finds?”

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“Found” Craft Materials at Yard Sales

Image: sxc.hu

The appeal of your art will vary depending on colors, styles and materials.  They also be memory pieces, using buttons from special occasions and from clothing of family members attire.

Some quilters/fabric artists use many buttons of various colors and types so these  nearly cover the piece.  Others use buttons simply to enhance their design or emphasize specific portions.

How have you used buttons in your art work?

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The Fascination of Button Collages

Image: sxc.hu

Recently I learned about these intriguing buttons that have evolved through the ages.  They contain designs and pictures of hats…sometimes the hat alone and sometimes of a person wearing a hat.  The hats come from different eras, but the buttons aren’t necessarily of that same time period.

However, hat buttons are sought by collectors since they haven’t been made to any extent in recent years.  Often someone who collects these buttons studies the history or hats and headgear worn by men, women and children throughout the ages.

What type(s) of buttons do you collect?

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The Fascination of Hat Buttons

Image: sxc.hu

Some we’ve saved and some we’ve sold at our yard sales.  However, buttons often tell a story about the clothing they’re on and occasions when it was worn.  Also, if you’re a collector, buttons are reminiscent of the places where you found them.

I remember collecting buttons when we lived in Denver.  My husband was attending airline pilots’ training, so our 2-year old daughter and I took walks around the area of our apartment for exercise and entertainment.

We made the acquaintance of the owner of a thrift store and stopped in almost daily for a chat.  Here I browsed through her buttons, and she gave me those she didn’t want.  She cut them from clothing no longer useful to her and added them to the button collection.

I did dressmaking for another button collecting friend.  Miss Iva  introduced me to the craft of sewing buttons onto fabric covered cardboard to make designs.  She then framed these and hung them on the wall.  My daughter, then 8-years old, was fascinated.  So I tried doing this with my 4-H Club girls.

What crafts do you undertake with buttons?  What stories do they tell?

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Collecting Buttons – Some Tell Stories

Image: sxc.hu

What types of embellishments are there?

1. Beads
2. Buttons
3. Charms
4. Scrapbook stickers
5. Handmade fabric buttons
6. Pieces of wood
7. Decorated CDs
8. Foil
9. Artificial flowers
10. Keys
11. Advertising buttons on pins
12. Postage stamps
13. Rubber stamping

Do you have any other interesting embellishments that you use? How do you use them?  What are your favorites?

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Thursday Thirteen-13 Embellishments

Image: sxc.hu

In the midst of accumulating buttons for arts and crafts, you may find some unusual and even rare buttons.  So your interest is piqued about the hobby of button collecting itself. 

You’ll search the Internet and browse through books to find out more about these items you’re using.

 Or, you might be a button collector who is wondering what to do with those you don’t need for your collection.  You’ve culled out those of special interest.  So…why not start creating art that uses buttons?

 Some books my daughter and I have accumulated in our zest for buttons:

Antique & Collectible Buttons, Identification & Values by Debra J. Wisniewski, 1997.

Antique & Collectible Buttons, Identification & Values, Vol.II by Debra J. Wisniewski, 2002.

The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Buttons by Sally C. Luscomb,

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Button Collecting for Art

Image:sxc.hu

What’s a good way to organize?

• By size
• By color
• By color and size
• By design
• By artist
• By era

My daughter has separated the small beads she uses for her embellishing into containers.  They are organized by color, then by size and design.  She puts these into small clear plastic containers she can see through.  Then she stores the smaller ones into a larger clear plastic box.  Thus they’re easy to find and grab.

I purchased some slightly larger beads.  They came in a clear plastic container with dividers.  Within each compartment, the beads were separated according to color and shape.  So they’re easy to see and grab.  However, I do have to be careful they don’t tip over and the cover comes open!

Some artists with many more beads and buttons and embellishments than Beth and I, organize theirs in several drawers or compartments in a rolling organizer.

What method works for you?

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Organizing Beads and Embellishments

Image: sxc.hu

The “Kids’ Stash” would be odds and ends of buttons you’ve collected, taken off old clothing, saved for mending and other utilitarian tasks.  These are great for youngsters to use for crafts and creativity(as long as they’re beyond the “putting everything into their mouth” stage of life).

My daughter became interested in buttons when I did dressmaking for a lady who was an avid button collector.  When Miss Ida realized Beth’s fascination, she gave Beth a jar of buttons that she didn’t need.  This certainly piqued Beth’s interest in button collecting and crafting.

So we:

• Made collages with button accents, gluing these on pictures Beth drew.
• Sewed buttons on heavy stock paper to make floral arrangements.
• Collected more buttons over the years

Beth now collects buttons and beads for her fabric art, using them as embellishments that add accents to whatever she’s doing.  Currently, Beth is sewing beads and small buttons to miniature felted quilts.

Beth also makes buttons from various materials for her fabric art.  Did her interest in buttons carry over from those days we visited Miss Ida?

Are you a button collector?  Do you have unique ways to use buttons in your art and share with your youngsters?

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A Button Stash for Creative Kids

  More quilters are discovering the fascination of art quilts, those you hang on the wall and use for decorative effect.  You might place them on a bed but generally use only for adornment.  Perhaps you’ll use fabric art pieces in clothing, too.

To embellish their art quilts, quilters and fabric artists often choose beads and buttons, some of which they may make themselves.  I ran a poll to determine whether my readers are into this type of embellishment.

Question – Do You Use Beads and Buttons to Embellish Your Quilts?

10%  – Yes, frequently

70% – Yes, occasionally

20% – No, never

It would seem that throughout the quilting world, embellishments are becoming popular.  Some fabric artists, like my daughter, make beads from a variety of materials to add to their work.

How about telling me how you use beads and buttons.  Do you have any pictures of projects on your blog or web site you’d like to share?

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

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Poll Results – Using Beads & Buttons to Embellish Your Quilts