The Art of Designing and Making Fancy Buttons for Crafting

The Art of Making Fancy Buttons

Buttons are often an overlooked part of an outfit. But fancy, decorative buttons can add a special touch of personalized flair. As sewing skills improve, many crafters try their hand at making fancy buttons. The process allows for creativity in button shapes, colors, and designs.

Getting Inspired by Button Possibilities

In the modern era of mass manufacturing, most buttons found in stores are plain and generic. But throughout history, artisan button-makers have crafted buttons out of various materials like metal, wood, glass, and more. When making fancy buttons yourself, you can recreate historical styles or invent new ones.

Antique buttons often feature delicate filigree shapes or decorative enamel. Look at museum collections online for inspiration. Also browse sewing blogs and sites like Pinterest to spark ideas for shapes, color schemes, and button themes.

Selecting Materials for Custom Buttons

Part of the appeal of fancy buttons is making them out of unique materials. Polymer clay or sculpting epoxy allow shaping buttons and adding color. Wood buttons can include carved or burned designs. And buttons made from upcycled jewelry incorporate glittering gems and crystals.

Fabric and felt are other options for covering button forms. Consider using scraps from a special garment or fancy fabric like velvet. Or decorate fabric with embroidery floss or specialty yarns before shaping it over a button mold.

Tools and Techniques for Button-Making

While some fancy button projects require specific tools, many can be made with general craft supplies. Basic equipment like pliers, wire cutters, an awl, and needle-nose tweezers help attach findings and shape clay or polymer clay. Embellishments are also easy to attach with hot glue.

Sewing a button from scratch involves several steps. First, cut two identical button shapes out of fabric. Consider using fusible webbing to stabilize the fabric. Sandwich embellishments between the layers if desired. Then align the shapes and sew around the edge, leaving an opening. Trim seam allowances, turn the button right side out, press flat, and sew the opening closed.

Designing One-of-a-Kind Buttons

Part of the reward of making fancy buttons is planning designs that are meaningful to you. Look for inspiration in your hobbies, favorite places, cherished mementos, or even inside family jokes. Translate those inspirations into a button style, color, shape, or decoration.

Incorporating Sentimental Elements

Buttons can easily include small sentimental objects. For example, if you collect sea glass, wire wrap colorful shards to cover plain wooden buttons. Or fill clear resin buttons with flakes of rose petals from your wedding bouquet. The possibilities for sentimental elements are endless.

Making Thematic Buttons for Handmade Fashion

Crafty fashionistas can carry button themes through entire ensembles. If you sew adventure-themed clothing, make gear-shaped buttons or sculpt little campers out of clay. Use sparkly chiffon and trims from a fairy costume to inspire whimsical button embellishments. Even use iron-on patches and appliques as starting points for matching buttons.

You can also plan fancy buttons around specific garments. Make pearlized buttons to class up a satin blouse. Or hammer metal disks with leaf shapes for a autumn jacket. Planning buttons early allows plenty of time for creativity.

Next Level Button-Making Inspiration

Once you've caught the bug for making fancy buttons, you'll soon be seeing button potential everywhere. Thrift store jewelry, yard sale trinkets, and leftover craft materials can all provide raw materials. Scout places like garage sales and antique shops for unique button forms like carved horn, ceramic, or metal.

Joining Online Button Maker Communities

Connecting with other button makers provides even more inspiration. Groups on Facebook and craft sites offer challenges to make buttons around monthly themes. You can share project ideas as well as buy custom button blanks and specialty supplies.

Photo sharing sites are also great for finding button designs. Search sites like Pinterest to discover buttons shaped like planets, decorated with decoupage, or featuring miniature scenes under domes. The more button projects you see, the more ideas you'll get for your own cloth button, wood button, or other homemade button creations.

With some basic supplies and sewing skills, fancy buttons are an easy DIY craft. The creative possibilities are truly endless when making buttons from scratch. So dig into your hobby interests, favorite materials, and memories for inspiration. And let your imagination run wild to make buttons that are uniquely fancy and meaningful to you!