Button Art: Necklaces

When I was younger, I read a book about a character who collects buttons. She gathers bags and jars and drawers of buttons, so much so that others start to worry about her habit (more specifically, her older sister who shares a room with her, if I'm remembering correctly). One of the ways she attempts to downsize her collection is by making button necklaces for her friends, aaaaaaaaand I bet you can guess where I'm headed here.

This book, though a favorite of mine for a time, was long forgotten (to the point that I STILL can't recall its title, despite multiple Google searches) by the time I discovered the following items:

The brown and pink necklace (R) is from this Etsy shop, which still sells similar items (around $20 for a necklace).

I'm pretty sure the blue necklace (L) was also from an Etsy shop, but I can't remember which one (nor can I find it again - Google image search fail!).

At the time I found these images, I had recently come into possession of a variety of buttons from my grandmother's former button collection (mentioned in last week's post). When I saw these necklaces, I fell in love with the way they modernized the idea of button jewelry though color (modern mixes, monochromatic) and selection (basically, less is more - the entire necklace isn't button-blinged out). I immediately turned my attention to the buttons I had and began sorting. I found a few turquoise buttons to which I was pretty partial, and I decided to pair them with some chocolate brown buttons for a complementary palette. The pink/brown necklace above contains quite a few button shanks, which gave me the courage to try one in my own design. Since I only had a single variety of button shanks, I also mimicked the effect of layering buttons with contrasting colors in order to keep my necklace visually interesting.

Since I already had my buttons, I only needed to pick up a necklace chain (w/clasp) from Michaels, along with some jewelry wire. I wish I could remember what gauge wire I bought (I've since thrown away the packaging), because the first type I bought was too thin and didn't hold the button structure of the necklace at all. I would probably recommend 18-22 gauge, but maybe even thicker (which would be 16 and down). The picture to the left shows the two types, not a color preference (the choices were limited). I'm holding the better of the two - visually they are very similar, so it's more of a touch/manipulation differentiation (oh, and yeah, the number of the gauge, if you know it!). Once the wire issue was settled, I set to work 'threading' it through my buttons' holes and constructing my button conglomerate (for lack of a better term!).

Click to Enlarge

Once I was done constructing my button conglomerate, I attached it to my necklace chain. I used a pair of needle-nose pliers to break apart the chain, then I threaded the wire through the last link on each side and wrapped it off (you're definitely going to need a tool of some kind here). And be sure you tuck in the pointy ends of the wire once you've wrapped it off around itself, or you are in for some discomfort! For this necklace I simply broke apart the chain in the middle and inserted my button creation - luckily, mine was the kind of chain that can be clasped at multiple intersections, giving me some degree of flexibility regarding the end-result length of the necklace.

From the back it does NOT look pretty - but who cares?

And, here is my end result! The colors I chose helped alleviate any old-fashioned stigma, and I kept my layout down to seven button layerings. It is pretty lightweight, since most of the buttons are plastic. And the wire loops on either side are pretty unobtrusive. Fun, huh?

Button Art: Framed Designs

Growing up, I always liked sorting through my mom's buttons - sifting through little piles of color, selecting my favorites. I also remember reading a book about a certain bear who embarks on an epic mission to find a certain missing button (aw, yeah, remember Corduroy?). Unfortunately, as a teenager I rebuffed my mom's attempts to teach me the art of sewing, so my affinity for buttons remained a stifled interest until I recently began to discover other decorative uses for them. And, in a sense, this is a return to the historical use of the button. Don't believe me? Check it! According to Ian McNeil (cited by Wikipedia), "The button, in fact, was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and about 5000 years old."

So, who says that such ornaments have to stay in the realm of fashion? Not I! While it's true that buttons are made to be sewn, fabric ≠ clothing. Check out some of my hopeful future DIYs:


<--- This pillow with button leaves is from Etsy (click to enlarge).

This amazing monogram (made with a burlap canvas) is also an Etsy find. --->

I don't know where I curated this image from, but I really liked the combo of fabric backings and buttons.

Back Story: A few years ago we lost my grandmother, and while sorting through her personal effects, my mom and I discovered a large coffee can brimming with her button collection. Seeing the cascades of buttons, I knew I wanted to use some in crafts that would get them out of their coffee can and into the open. I began searching around online and was struck by a few of the images above, so I decided to try my hand at creating my own framed button design with my grandma's buttons.

Reproduction! But you get the idea.

The color scheme of my bedroom is navy blue, cream, tan, and a light mint green (think nautical, without the lighthouses). I might go into further detail in a later post, but what's pertinent for now is that I found a nice variety of blue buttons in my grandmother's collection (I also nosed around my mom's as well - hey, my button collection consists of the extras that come with nice sweaters and button-downs, so it's itty bitty). Once I sorted out the colors that went with my palette, I had to settle on a design. It's important to find a design that's detailed enough to be read from a distance, yet simple enough that it can be created with little circles. I eventually settled on a fleur de lis and played around until I found a button layout that worked. I used cross stitch fabric (aida cloth) and pencil-marked each button's position on the fabric before simply sewing them on individually. I didn't take any pictures of the process at the time, but at right is a rendering of what it looked like. Once the buttons were sewn on, I trimmed down the fabric and centered the design in an 8"x10" frame (disregarding the glass). And I think it turned out pretty well - I added a lone cream button and a few brown buttons from my mom's collection into the mix to give it a little more color variation, and I think it fits nicely with the rest of the wall hangings.

Since the fleur de lis is a symmetrical design, I wanted to map it out on the cloth ahead of time. However, when I took some of my grandma's maroon/pink and cream buttons and made a little heart design for my mom, I was able to be much more flexible. Basically, all I did was arrange the buttons in the design I wanted and took a picture of it:

 

Then I simply used the picture as a guideline for attaching the buttons to my aida cloth. I tucked the finished design in a little frame (probably a 3"x4"?), and the result was a sweet reminder of my grandma (with a little bit of me mixed in) for my mom to keep on her desk:

So, if you have some buttons that have sentimental value (or you simply find them fascinating), but you aren't a seamstress, don't fret - there are all sorts of creative ways to incorporate them into your modern (read: not country-chic) decor!