Any Button Crafters?

[officerripley]

Any button crafters here who could recommend a good book or website? (I tried searching to see if there already was a thread on this but didn't find one; if I missed it, apologies.

 

[Kaila]

It sounds like fun. I haven't heard of it.
Will be interested to find out more.

 

[Jules]

What’s a button crafter?

 

[officerripley]

What’s a button crafter?

They make all kinds of things out of buttons, jewelry, adorn lampshades, bowls, keychain ornaments, bookmarks (what I'm especially interested in), Christmas trees, wall art, lots of things. Here's a link to some on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amandaformaro/button-crafts-ideas/

I'd like a book that will explain the how-to of it.

 

[Ruth n Jersey]

I never heard of button crafters but it sounds like fun.

 

[Jules]

Those of us of a certain age always have a button jar or box. Before anything went to the rag bag, the buttons were removed.

Great buttons can turn an ordinary jacket into something upscale.

The only time I was really away from a source for a button was in Europe and I really needed one. Stopped into a little store. Incredible choices. Not cheap but I bought some just because I couldn’t not.

Officerripley, you‘ll have to show us some of your creations when you get going.

 

[Jules]

@officerripley Here’s a stolen idea. At some point I bought this card and gave the idea to my friend. This was in early Covid days and she couldn’t shop for cards. I just printed the birthday message and taped it inside. I told her she was welcome to remove my message and send it on to a friend or duplicate one with her own buttons, which she did.

 

[Kaila]

Your own description, makes it sound interesting and fun, OfficeRipley.
The wallhanging idea appealed to me, as the buttons could be sewed on to a fabric, rather than using glue which, for myself, is too irritating for my breathing.
Love the card, Jules, though!
Plus the memory of button jars! I wish I had one, now, to try out these ideas!

 

[Lee]

Had a lookie at the link, I never saw so many ideas for buttons. I don't just have a button jar, I have cards and cards and cards of buttons. A wicker box full, I guess I could be called a button hoarder.

 

[Kaila]

Too bad we can't all gather at your house, @Lee
and have a button-crafting activity time together.

 

[Lee]

Kaila, we could all make sock puppets with button eyes

 

[officerripley]

Those of us of a certain age always have a button jar or box. Before anything went to the rag bag, the buttons were removed.

Great buttons can turn an ordinary jacket into something upscale.

The only time I was really away from a source for a button was in Europe and I really needed one. Stopped into a little store. Incredible choices. Not cheap but I bought some just because I couldn’t not.

Officerripley, you‘ll have to show us some of your creations when you get going.

A fabric store here in town used to have a great big clawfoot bathtub in the front of the store that was just full of buttons and you were welcome to dig through it and pick out what you wanted. The store closed up years ago but I bet you could find cool buttons on old clothing at thrift shops, yard sales, etc.

Your own description, makes it sound interesting and fun, OfficeRipley.
The wallhanging idea appealed to me, as the buttons could be sewed on to a fabric, rather than using glue which, for myself, is too irritating for my breathing.
Love the card, Jules, though!
Plus the memory of button jars! I wish I had one, now, to try out these ideas!

I like the idea of the sewing the buttons too, mainly because I'm afraid of using my hot glue gun, I'm *always* burning myself with it! I read a book by a wreath maker & she said that people were always asking her what is the best hot glue gun to use that they'd be less likely to burn themselves with. She said that she'd tried every one on the market, and every time a new one comes out, she tries it too, and that there is no such thing as a hot glue gun that you won't burn yourself with; she said the best thing is just to keep a cup of cool water handy to dip your hand in after burning it, that you just need to make your mind up you're gonna get burnt. Welp, that turned me off of hot glue guns. There is one kind of glue that works almost as good as hot glue guns and it's called Goop. Anybody know of any other good glues?

 

[Gaer]

i have a box of antique buttons but don't know what to do with them!

 

[officerripley]

Another button craft I've been thinking about is, if I can find enough pretty buttons, is to put them in a fillable lamp base.

 

[Kaila]

Kaila, we could all make sock puppets with button eyes

That sounds great to me. Now let's all try not to fight over which buttons we want!
And then, later (after snacktime!) then we could have a puppet show!

A fabric store here in town used to have a great big clawfoot bathtub in the front of the store that was just full of buttons and you were welcome to dig through it and pick out what you wanted.

That sounds like a great place to spend a day !

Be careful with that hot glue, @officerripley !

 

[Keesha]

I’ve got a huge button jar ......
somewhere. When I sewed often I used them but I also made other things from them using wire.