Button up! It may not be coat season quite yet, but if mama's got a drawer full of buttons, or if she's simply looking for an easy DIY project, those extra fasteners may be perfect for her next arts and crafts project! Check out these 10 cute-as-a-button crafts. We've got something for everyone!
Savvy ladies have a stash of buttons, but when that collection starts to take over, you should repurpose them into adorable baubles that make unique gifts for all the girls in your life. This chic DIY would be a fun project to do with daughters and nieces over the holidays, and all you need for each bracelet (other than buttons) are a needle and thread and a length of elastic. Mix and match buttons, or stick with one color palette to create a bracelet that costs around $3 to make. Or make several button bracelets just for yourself and stack them for a really cool look.
I still remember doing iron-ons with my mom and making buttons at school fairs when I was a little kid, but, let's face it, that was almost 30 years ago, when my other big craft project was making Shrinky Dinks. In short: things have changed. But when we received news that the awesome Sukie was adding iron-ons and make-your-own pins to their line, we were intrigued. The iron-on kit ($15) includes 80 unique designs that are made to be mixed and matched to create customized T-shirts, tote bags, and more, while the button factory ($19) includes everything you need to create fabric-covered pins, badges, and buttons. Check out some images of the craft kits above and let us know what you think.
Would you take your crafting old-school with your kids with Sukie's iron-ons and buttons kits?
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I tend to gravitate toward headpieces that are quirky but not too weird. Which is why this Jennifer Ouellette Buttons Headband ($85) made me stop in my clicks. I thought to myself, buttons on a headband are a neat idea! And since they're black, it's not so out there. What do you think of it? Would you wear buttons on your head?
Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here!
This one-of-a-kind vase, owned by a relative of mine, was wrapped with basic copper wire and strung with a melange of vintage beads and buttons. The glass vase itself is a basic cylinder shape — the kind a florist would use — but the adornment gives it remarkable flair that I find quite chic. Recreating this vase wouldn't be difficult, even for a novice beader, but amassing such an extraordinary collection of baubles would be a feat in itself. Furthermore, I love how it's been used here to hold serving utensils in the kitchen window, so that it can be enjoyed daily!
Casa Quickie: New Uses For Old Buttons CasaSugar found a cute way to repurpose your drawers filled with spare buttons. How about using them to keep pairs of earrings together?
The folks over at Wish have devised a cute and clever way to repurpose those bags of spare buttons sitting in your junk drawer. Use them to keep pairs of earrings together by slipping their posts or hooks through the button holes. If you sport pins or brooches, this will trick will work for them as well. I must say it's a pretty useful idea; my post earrings are always getting lost. Of course, I've got my hook earrings neatly hung on the shutter earring display I made. There's a reason why the expression "cute as a button," is what it is: buttons are darn cute, especially a collection as colorful as this one. So, to learn one more way to repurpose your remnant buttons, read more
What to do when you have an old jacket that is still Fab, but has gone drab? No need to be dramatic and rid of it, just take another look and see how it can be revived. This was what I did with a 5-year-old DKNY olive green jacket. When I first got it, I wore it to death. Ever since, it has just sat in my closet, with old memories to keep it company. The reason I loved it so was because I realized an olive green jacket pretty much goes with everything. It can be utilitarian, sporty, chic, or just plain casual. The neutral hue works for both Summer and Winter, and it doesn't go out of style.
I knew my old faithful could be revived. What I love most about this jacket is these complex seams along the back and shoulders — I would never tire of those. So I started with the sleeves, and simply rolled them up, for a more distressed style. What really stood out as an eye sore was the drab buttons; these pale green medium sized buttons just camouflaged with the fabric. I thought if I simply changed the buttons — something even I know how to do — the jacket would be refreshed.
To see the process, and to read the rest of my jacket salvation story, read more
We gain weight, we lose weight. But what to do when our jeans fall off our waists? If this sounds familiar, get yourself the Instant Button For Jeans ($15 for a set of two). Founder Dana Hanh Contey created it because of personal experience: after three children, she would constantly adjust her jeans' waistband with a safety pin (yikes).
With the Instant Button, simply place the intant button in the desired location, insert the post through the jeans to the underside, and secure it with the clutch fastener to the back of the post. Easy peasy.
