Yesterdays crazy quilt detail using buttons prompted me to think about button crafts and using them for other projects. You can add buttons to just about anything. Embellishment ideas are everywhere. Some ideas are more practical than others.

After many years of scavenging in second hand shops for jars of buttons I have kilos (I am not exaggerating) of plastic shirt buttons and the like. These are not really suitable for crazy quilting and I am always on the look out for interesting way to use buttons particularly plane buttons. Of course I made this button necklace last year from ugly buttons and I have made other things with buttons before.

So here is a round up of what I found. Many require vintage special buttons but some would be interesting made from the more mundane, humble and often neglected buttons. I found these button bracelets, and then there are these too. They both use vintage buttons. However here is a simple Button Bracelet tutorial and another similar bead and button bracelet which includes directions on how to make it.

I really liked the quirky personality of this Button Lady Pin. On the Martha Stewart site, I found these directions on making a Button Necklace. Craftlog has posted images of these button necklaces and this stacked button ring. There are more Button Jewellery projects on the JHB International site.

I have posted this link before but I still like this Button covered tote . If you combined it with this Tote Organizer it would make a nice gift.

I thought this project which encourages children to learn to count with buttons was cute. Also for children there are these Button Buddies which would make an ideal project for children but they would have to be over 4 or 5 as you don’t want little ones swallowing buttons.

There is also an article by Jennie Archer Atwood on Embellishing Vintage Textiles using Vintage buttons. Many of the techniques suggested in this article can be applied not only to garment construction or embellishing smaller projects such as bags, but also to adding emphasis and texture to crazy quilting.

Well I think that is enough links for anyone interested in button crafts. I am off to have breakfast then out to the garden.