Found yourself with different colours and sizes of buttons in your possession, what do you do with them? If you plan to discard them, let’s show you how to get creative repurposing colourful buttons.
There are various options to make something creative, small and simple. It’s that simple even for kids learning how to piece stuff together. Some creative ideas for button crafts we have listed are easy for kids, while some are for those mature enough to highlight their creative skills.
Button Crafts and Repurpose Ideas
#1. Button Globe
This button craft is not for flat Earthers, rather, it’s an interesting project for those who believe we live on a globe. You will need buttons and other supplies to complete a small replica of the globe.
To get started, get a foam ball, bamboo skewers, and acrylic paint—blue for the oceans and seas, and green for the continents. Start by painting the foam ball with green and blue.
For the best results, get a picture of the globe and use the green paint to trace out the continents. The blue paint covers the remaining parts for the oceans. Allow the paint to dry before you apply glue. Use green buttons for the continents and blue buttons for the oceans.
Using different sizes of buttons ensures that every area is covered in the perfect colour.
Learn more: 10 Best Ways to Reuse Picture Frame
#2. Button Headband
Redesigning headbands with colourful buttons is as fun as it gets. This is suitable for kids who just want something more than the usual headbands. For girls, redesigning with pink buttons is ideal and fashionable.
Get started with headbands you already have, or you can purchase flat elastic sold by the yard. Use headbands that fit perfectly –sew the button, preferably pink for girls, using a thread and a needle.
This should be fun and completed in a few minutes. Allow your kid to observe and satisfy her curiosity.
#3. Halloween Button Crafts
Fall is a few months away, so what better time than now to learn how to make small ghosts? This is something kids can try out, as it only requires one or two thread cones and a few black buttons.
The thread should be white for the perfect ghost look. Place two black buttons at the top of the thread cone as the eyes and one below as the mouth. Small glass shank buttons should do the trick.
#4. Coin Charms
How about making a coin charm with vintage metal buttons? These are not your regular sewing pieces as they are mostly found in thrift and antique shops.
Don’t expect these vintage metal sewing pieces to be available in a variety of colours. They are classy and ideal for making jewellery crafts like bracelets and necklaces.
#5. Wax Seal
Seal on letters is way too old-fashioned in this new generation that has fully embraced technology. But if you are inspired to try out some medieval form of conveying important messages, why not, you can make a customised sealing wax.
Creating your customized wax seal stamp depends on the design of the piece. Get a vintage metal button is a cool design to create your wax seal stamp.
Learn more: 14 Upcycling Sewing Projects for Beginners
#6. Quick Bookmarks
Making button bookmarks using paperclips and other supplies is fun and takes a few minutes to complete. You will need fancy and colourful pieces, felt, paper clips, and hot glue.
Start by applying hot glue to your button and stick the paper clips to the back of the piece. Then, cut a tiny piece of felt to hold the paper clip in on the button. Using the felt adds a smooth finish to the craft.
And just like that, you have made a customized button paper clip.
#7. Button Tree
A combination of colourful buttons can create an artwork of nature, a tree. Drawing a tree is part of creative art children love to engage in. To make a tree by piecing together buttons of different colours is an exciting project for kids to try out.
Here is what is needed and how to start: Supplies include cardstock paper, scissors, and glue.
Firstly, make a tree trunk using brown cardstock paper. Glue it to a light blue piece of cardstock paper to form your tree trunk perfectly.
Next, add colourful buttons as leaves to the tree. You can use orange for a perfect fall foliage landscape or more green for spring. Additionally, you can also mix in some colours to create your customized coloured tree.
#8. Rainbow Button
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon that you can recreate with different colour pieces on cardstock paper. The supplies you need for this include scissors, blue cardstock paper, and colourful buttons to make the ideal rainbow.
If you are familiar with the colours of the rainbow, gather them and place them in order on a blue cardstock paper in a circular shape. Use scissors or a sharp blade to cut out the designed rainbow from the blue cardstock paper.
Create clouds with white foam sheets and attach them to the ends of your crafted rainbow.
Learn more: 10 Eco-Friendly Crafts for Adults
#9. Spooky Craft with Buttons
Clear white pieces are ideal for this craft. This type of repurposing idea only requires a specific colour: white on black cardboard to give the best spooky appearance. We are talking about making a nearly perfectly shaped skull, with black cardboard giving a realistic appearance. It is a button collage for the upcoming Halloween.
#10. Christmas Tree
Making a Christmas tree with tiny pieces is surely what kids would love to do. It’s simple, only needing green buttons of different sizes and a tiny star at the top of the tree to finish off the design.
However, if green pieces are scarce, available ones can be painted to fit the colour of a Christmas tree. Bigger buttons build the base of the tree and smaller sizes are added to make a fine cone-shaped Christmas tree.
#11. Tool Holders
It’s time to redesign your tool holder and the best you can do is to add colourful buttons, perhaps in a pattern of your country’s flag to show true patriotism.
Use colours that match and glue each button perfectly for your design.
#12. Button Fridge Magnet
Making fridge magnets with buttons only takes a few minutes. It’s simple to create these tiny pieces by glueing magnets to the back of colourful buttons.
They add an extra touch to the kitchen area.
Conclusion
Create fun moments with these button crafts and repurpose ideas we’ve listed. There are several creative options you can choose from, as long as you have the supplies to complete the project.