HiT2T Ladies,
I have found that Buttons can be used for so many things, I've made necklaces and braclets.
Embelished sweat shirts and gloves. My heart rate speeds up when I find a large bag of vintage buttons! I recently found a fellow button lady, who sold me 1600 buttons!
I should take some pictures of my treasures and post them. Do any of you have any creations with buttons. I need some new ideas for my collection. TIA. Wenpress

I love buttons also altho have only made a few things with them. I have two jars with buttons used as decor in my LR right now!

Hope you will post pics of your button projects.

Some ideas are button flowers attached to florist's wire stems, flower buttons on greeting cards, button mosaic pictures, button jewellery such as pins, ankle bracelets, earrings. You could decorate candles with them, and make Christmas and Valentine's decorations using bits of lace and buttons or glued on cardboard hearts or other shapes, use them for rag doll features, and embellish almost any country style accessory with them.

Here are my 3 picture frames I made years ago. I chose the colors based on the family pics that go in them.

button_pic_frames.jpg (88 Kb, 143 downloads)

Maybe this artist can inspire you:
http://www.kunstzinnig.nl/index_list.asp?type=kunstenaar&gebruikersID=780

It's in Dutch, sorry, but the pics speak for themselves. Or translate with Babelfish
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

I love buttons and pretty much anything made from them! On another board we had a button swap and it was such fun.

Joyluck gave you some good ideas. And there's tons of projects available on the internet.And maybe doing a search on Amazon, you might see a book that has new ideas.

My focus lately has been jewelry. Earrings and Pendants, rings, wire sculpted in either sterling or 14/20 gold filled wire. I love copper and even brass wire, too. Some buttons I use are vintage..some new, depending on the look I want. Like you, if I find a bag of buttons, I have to grab them I even shop thrift stores for old clothing with beautiful buttons.

Hope to see your projects. I don't have pictures, but hope to learn soon how to post pictures.

I've purchased many buttons from this lady, and she's a wonderful person and seller. She's from the Czech Republic, and has designed several of her own buttons when she goes to the button factories. Something I would love to do. No telling what would happen to my bank account if I was turned loose is a button factory...sigh!

http://stores.ebay.ca/Bohemian-Enchantment

Joyluck, your frames are awesome and love your choice of buttons! They're such treasures and tiny works of art!

yes, for some reason, i love buttons. before i throw out unusable clothing, i cut off all the buttons; i don't care if they're quality buttons or cheap plastic. mine are in two large jars (as decoration) and i have added a few to some of my projects.
maryann, i have to say, i was relieved to see that someone else still can't post pics. i feel so guilty for not being able to show my work to all these folks who so generously share their's.

Watch out putting buttons on greeting cards you have to mail. I received one recently and I had to pay an extra .72 in postage, which brought the entire mailing price up to $1.13. Because of the button it put the envelope into parcel post category.

I love buttons, too. I've used them in cross-stitch projects, but most are in jars sitting out in my craft "area" of the loft.

I also cut off buttons from clothing -- and I actually buy thrift clothing for the buttons. Is that a bad thing to do?

If you're bad, then I am too! LOL I look for clothes at the TS and GS just for buttons and fabric for sewing. Of course it's nice to find something I can actually wear, too!

TS clothing is often relatively expensive in Amsterdam, but I do take off buttons and even zippers from curb found clothing that I can't wear. But I'm sure I'd buy for that if the price was right!

oh my, smiles, now i must pull out what buttons i have to see what i can do with them...as i save the pictures for and example to practice with.........

the frames are most beautiful.

div@

Here's 2 Martha projects that uses buttons.. they always stick in my mind:

Button Napkin Ring 1

Button Napkin Ring 2

Michele Beschen did a whole show on button crafts:

Button Crafts

HTH

I've just recently started collecting some vintage buttons...my favorites are clear coloured buttons and shell buttons. The colours are magnificent. I think I'm going to use some of them to do pictures such as flowers with maybe some cute sayings. or I'm thinking bracelets and necklaces. Best of luck

A few years ago I took a metal lunch box, spray painted it black and then covered it with vintiage buttons that I had collected. I gave to my step granddaughter to use as a purse. she loved it and asked me to make a few more for some friends of hers. At that point, I was working full time and taking care of a sick husband,also had used all the buttons I had to make the purse for her, so I had no time to pursue the ides, maybe it is time to rethink the idea,as I am now retired.
msmarymac2

Another craft for buttons is making stretchy bracelets. Using elastic at about one inch width, decide the length needed for your bracelet. Sew the ends together. Stretch the bracelet and decide on placement of buttons(I do one at a time)and sew them down. When you fill the elastic, you have a very lively and interesting bracelet! Make sure you stretch elastic as you place buttons, or you bracelet won't be able to stretch over your hand.

I hope these instructions are understandable

I make Christmas ornaments with buttons.

shell-ornament_large.jpg (3 Kb, 32 downloads)

One of my favorite button projects was to take a standup, fairly flat cloth cat and glue lace and buttons across her.

Here's a button doll pin I made a couple months ago.I used a bottlecap for the head,and had some paper wings printed on cardstock.I sent this to my daughter,and she loes wearing it.

img166.jpg (45 Kb, 23 downloads) doll

Buttons are indeed versitle and should be salvaged and repurposed for their vast possibilites. Not long ago, buttons were used as embellishments covering the lapels of coats and faces of vests. You are basically limited by your imagination.
To embellish...
hats, gloves, dresses, coats, skirts, scarfs, bouses, tops, belts, shoes, etc.
To make into jewelry.
To decorate things like...
lampshades, picture/photo frames, mirrors, boxes, around furniture edges, on upholstered pieces, etc..
To surround candles.
To scatter about a tablescape.
To embellish a photo album.
To add to hair adornments.
To add to gift bags or bows.
To cover a paper mache form.
To use on a topiary.
To add to a Christmas tree skirt.
To add to a tablecloth edge.
To add to a mantel scarf or table runner.
To add to a placemat.
To use on a curtain tieback or tab top curtains.
To add to a shower or window curtain as embellishment.
To use as filler in a silk or dried floral arrangement in a glass vase, pitcher or other vessel.
To sew to a sewing box lid.
To use in mosaic pieces.
To form a shape like a tree, star, sun, etc. and frame as art inside a shadowbox.
To use for eyes on sock puppets.
To glue to a chair rail or border (great in a sewing room).
Use on rag dolls.
To cover or create a design on a fabric purse.
To fill mason jars as a country decor item.
To use on a wreath, particularly a fabric or wooden one.
To sew onto Christmas stockings.
To turn into refrigerator magnets.
To add to the bottom of tassels.
To hot glue to clay flower pots.
To add to country signage.
To make into button dolls (http://www.buttonpeople.com/)
To use on doll clothes.
To use on a homespun Christmas tree garland.

Hope the above ideas inspire you button collectors.