Today, whether you are making button jewelry like bracelets or custom pins, you can take pride in working with a tradition that dates back to the Bronze Age. The history of buttons dates back thousands of years. Interestingly, when buttons were originally developed during the Bronze Age, they were used for purely decorative purposes. Although the Greeks did use buttons and a loop of thread to fasten together clothing, buttons didn't really take off in Europe until the 1200s, when the button met the button hole. Throughout the ages, buttons have been made from bone, wood, stone, ivory, plastic and more.
Making Button Jewelry
Before making jewelry out of buttons, you have to buy buttons. If already you sew, you can rob your sewing kit. Visit your local and online fabric stores and buy new buttons that you like. In addition, you can haunt garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets to buy buttons, sometimes by the jarful. Who knows? You might find some real antique or vintage baubles to use when making your button jewelry.
An easy project is the button bracelet. For a wide bracelet, purchase a wide band of elastic. Cut the elastic to the size of your wrist, including an extra half inch for overlap when you sew the bracelet together. With this type of button bracelet, you simply sew on the buttons of your choice in a pattern that you like and then stitch the bracelet together.
If you would like a narrower bracelet, try stretchy jewelry cord. Measure the cord six inches longer than the circumference of your wrist. When you are considering your pattern, you can use beads as spacers between your buttons if you like. After you are happy with the design and the length of the bracelet, tie the ends together in a knot flush to the beads or buttons and then trim the ends.
You can be as creative as you want when making button pins and brooches. All that you need to start is buttons, a pin back and a glue gun. You simply glue together different sizes and shapes of buttons and, after you are finished, glue the jewelry to the pin back. Don't forget to mix plastic, metal and bone buttons.
You can add pizzazz to your button pins using ribbon, glitter or fabrics. Sew chains through the button holes or "draw" pictures with the buttons. This might not necessarily be a subtle project. The more outrageous your button pin, the more interesting the pin will look.
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