Nostalgia plays a large part in people’s perception of comfort and it can be a small item such as a button, which can evoke warm and happy memories. Nearly everyone has a button box and here is a way of using up the contents. Choose your buttons carefully if they are very old make sure that they are colour fast, as many old buttons aren’t and in the past had to be taken off every time a garment was washed. If in doubt tack the button to a piece of cloth and put through the washing machine to see if it has dyed the fabric beneath. When choosing buttons for a project like those shown, choose ones which will fit in with your colour pallet, most of the ones used here are creams, whites and glass with the odd blue pink and brown to give a hint of colour.
The Frame Game
What you need
A broad frame
P.V.A glue
buttons
(paint optional)
Instructions
1. For rough frame. This is an old Ikea frame, that was first given a coat of white paint. When the paint was dry. A line of buttons was glued down the middle of each side.
2. For a very pretty tiny frame, choose tiny buttons in the same colour tones and range. Here are white and pearl and cream as the frame and the box beneath are both brown. Stick the buttons as close to one another as possible.
3. For small square wooden frame.
Choose tiny shirt buttons, stick them on the diagonal joins of the frame, and in between at regular intervals half way between the diagonals.
Throw to go.
What you need
Buttons in different sizes and colours
Needle thread
Throw or rug
Instructions
1 Lay out the buttons in a star design on the floor or table.
2 Start with a big button in the centre. Sew this button near one of the corners of the throw , leaving enough room for the rest of the star.
3 Pick up one button at a time and sew it on the throw round the centre button. Repeat with other buttons until the star is finished.
Bed Blanket
What you need
Buttons (if you don’t have enough go to a thrift shop or jumble sale and buy old clothes and cut off the buttons or you may be lucky enough to inherit a button box.)
Button thread
needle
Throw (if possible choose one with a contrast bound edge like the one here as it is easy for sewing on buttons.
Instructions
1Arrange buttons round throw to see how they look try spacing at different intervals
2 Sew round the throw only sewing through one layer of the ribbon edge so that there are no knots showing on the other side of the ribbon edge.
Juliet Bawden - Juliet Bawden is a craft & design writer and broadcaster. She has had over 60 books published. She crafts, cooks -gardens and recycles
