Buttons are colorful and come in unique designs. You can use them to make gifts or jazz up household items.
If you've collected or inherited thousands of buttons over the years you can finally put them to some good use. Here are some tips for making beauties with buttons:
1) Glue buttons on a lampshade. Use kids' buttons for a child's room lamp or red and gold ones for an oriental touch in another room.
2) String flat buttons together to make a cute choker necklace and matching bracelet. Allow plenty of string hanging on the ends to tie the necklace or use elastic thread instead.
3) Use mother-of-pearl buttons or other eye-catching buttons to decorate a picture frame. Cover the frame completely, outline just the edges or simply put an attractive button in each corner.
4) Make a clock from just about anything by purchasing a clock hands set and using buttons for the numbers.
5) Buy a wreath shape at a craft department and cover it with multi-colored buttons for a springtime look. Make similar wreaths for other occasions. Cover a wreath shape in all red buttons then add a green ribbon for Christmas.
6) Drop buttons into a plastic soda bottle and glue on lid. This is a perfect toy for a toddler.
7) Spell out your name on a hat with buttons or make a different design like a butterfly.
8) Paint a cookie sheet any color and glue on a hanger. Place magnetic dots on the backs of buttons and use the cookie sheet for a message board. The buttons with their magnetic backing will hold notes and business cards to the cookie sheet. Be sure the cookie sheet isn't aluminum or the magnetic buttons won't stick.
9) Add really pretty buttons to dresser drawer knobs.
10) Mirrors with no frame are the perfect place for buttons. Add them directly to the edge of the mirror or place them strategically on the wall around the mirror. Imagine a round mirror as a sun and arrange buttons to form sun rays. Or just do a random oval pattern around an oval mirror for a unique appeal.
11) Sew glittery buttons onto four small pieces of elastic and you'll have a nice set of napkin rings.
12) Add buttons to table tops, soap dishes, mantel pieces and other items to make them look like expensive mosaics.
13) Make different doll house furnishings with buttons. Snap toothpicks in half and glue them on the bottom of a large flat button to make a small table. Cut a tiny picture and glue it in the center of a large flat button to hang on the wall of the dollhouse. Use little glass buttons for doorknobs and drawer pulls.
14) Use a large button with two holes as a face and let kids do artwork. Use colored glue to attach the button onto the paper or board and the glue will squeeze up through the two holes making them look like eyes. Let the kids use yarn, cloth and other scraps to finish the picture.
15) Cut a flag shape from red felt, add white stripes and a small piece of navy blue cloth in the top left corner. Use tiny buttons to represent the stars.
16) Make a board game by using a simple map of the United States. Make cards that tell the players to go to various states with the goal being to get from Washington state to Florida first . Use red, white and blue buttons as the markers.
17) Cut the shank off of two buttons and glue them to clip-on earring hardware.
18) Glue the buttons all over a hair clip for a fun gift for girls.
19) Fill a tin with buttons and glue on the lid. Cover the lid with fabric and let children use for a drum.
20) Simply showcase some old or unique buttons in a shadow-box style frame as a conversation piece.
