Creating Crafts With Old Buttons - 10 Ideas

I just love using old buttons in my craft projects. Here's ten quick and easy ideas to put those old buttons to use. For most projects, you will need a tube of craft glue, and hardware from your local craft supply shop, or items found at your local mart in the craft section.

IDEAS FOR MINI, SMALL OR MEDIUM SIZED BUTTONS:

1) Game Piece Mini Button Pins. Use small buttons to create mini mosaics or small flowers on a poker chip or used domino. Hold together with craft glue., Once dry, and glue a "brooch pin" on the back and you have a neat craft idea.

Creating Crafts With Old Buttons - 10 Ideas

2) Picture frames: Transform any boring picture frame into something wonderful by gluing mini buttons all around the edges. (This works best with flat surface photo frames.) These make great gifts, from pearl buttons looking wonderful in a designer room, to colorful rainbow frames working as a "get well soon" gift.

3) Personalized Gift Tags: Use cardboard to cut out tag shapes, or buy the large price tags at your local office supply store. Once decorated with markers, crayons, paints, or decoupage with paper. Finalize by gluing mini buttons in the initials or first name letter of the person you are giving a gift to. This looks adorable and is a great way to use your buttons up. (If you are making your own cardboard cut out tags, you will need a hole punch and ribbon. The store bought version come with string).

4) Makeup Mirror Gift: Old makeup or powder compacts can be cleaned, (soaked in hot water to remove metal inserts) then small buttons glued all over for a unique gift idea. These serve as tiny jewelry cases, cash boxes, vitamin containers, or treasure boxes and make great stocking stuffers or novelty gift ideas.

5) Button Necklace: Mini buttons can be woven together in and out using thin gauge translucent crafting wire or clear fishing string medium weight to make a functional necklace.

IDEAS FOR LARGE TO JUMBO SIZED BUTTONS:

6)Dog Tag Identifier: Use a large button with a flat service to decoupage your dog's name and phone number onto a button (avoid the hole area). Apply many coats of clear sealer, and when dry, sew the button onto the top of your dog's collar. Even if your dog loses the tags from the lower loop, the button will stay atop the collar, and provide valuable information if the dog becomes lost. If you have to wash the collar, hand wash gently and avoid soaking the button area for long periods of time.

7) Greeting Cards: Use jumbo, extremely large buttons that are unique, vintage or colorful, and glue on the front of a handmade card. Use them as center of your artwork, for example, a large yellow button is the sun, a large black button is the center of a sunflower, or a large brown button is an owl's head. They make interesting mixed media components in your work.

8) Pendant from Large Buttons: Jumbo or large buttons which are unique in design can be adorned with a bale glued on with craft glue. They make lovely pendants. Alternative: Layer buttons and glue together, for a unique layered pendant look!

9) Key Fob with Buttons: Remove the ring from an old key chain, or acquire key chain rings for this project. Find some high strength cord such as hemp, or colored plastic cord. Thread the cord though the large button holes (Criss-cross the cord if using four hole button), then braid it. Your braid should be 3" or more in length. Attach with knots onto the ring. It will make a pretty and simplistic key chain or gift idea.

10) Button Magnet Gifts: Using small magnets, attach to backs of buttons with craft glue. Allow to dry and assemble into sets of six. Find medium weight cardboard to use for gift package backing. Mount buttons onto the cardboard backing as this is your gift display. (This can be done by cutting a small slit in the cardboard, and pressing the magnet through to hold the magnet in place, so that all you see on the front of the cardboard is the pretty buttons, as if they are mounted on a card!) Cover with cloth or wrap with newspaper and these make great gift sets.

Creating Crafts With Old Buttons - 10 Ideas
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Ira Mency is a published book author, artist and freelancer. Her vintage shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop/RetroChalet can be found on Etsy and her Vintage Chalet blog, http://VintageChalet.blogspot.com, often incorporates vintage finds.

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Vintage Handkerchiefs - Decorating and Craft Uses

There are many modern-day uses for vintage handkerchiefs other than their original use as cloths to blow your nose! Basically, any way you use fabric, you can use a lady's handkerchief.

Some decorating and crafting ideas are found here. Just think outside the box and use your imagination! You can search the internet for instructions on how to make some of these items.

Here are some creative ways to use vintage hankies:

Vintage Handkerchiefs - Decorating and Craft Uses

Baby's handkerchief bonnet that can be used as a christening bonnet and then one day be used as a wedding handkerchief Decoration on clothing - a pocket or collar on a vest, jacket, apron, or blouse Sachets filled with lavender or other potpourri Gift wrap or bag for a small gift Gift wrap a hand-made soap Bow on a gift package - gather the edges of a pretty hanky and tie with a ribbon - use instead of a gift bow Fabric shade on a small lamp Display a collection on a metal ornament tree Display a special handkerchief under a piece of glass on a tabletop Night light Guest books for the new bride or for a new baby Cocktail napkins Dining napkins Placemats Basket liners - use colorful hankies in a basket for the bath or bedroom Backing on a shadow box Doily - use instead of a crocheted or tatted doily Party favor around a candle Handkerchief dolls Handkerchief puppets Angel ornaments Christmas ornaments Curtain valance - lay several at an angle over a rod or clip to a curtain rod - some like to clip with old wooden clothes pins Sew them together and use as a fabric to make curtains, valances, shower curtains, tablecloths, table toppers, quilts, skirts, vests, dresses, or halter tops Drape on a diagonal over the edge of a shelf Tuck in a beaded bag for an elegant addition to your dresser Small hat as part of a child's costume Decoration on children's clothing - jacket, shirt, or pants Padded picture frame Small book cover Bulletin board cover Frame several together for a dramatic effect Tuck several floral decorated handkerchiefs into a ball vase for an arrangement that's always in bloom Pillow cover - use two hankies to cover the front and back of a pillow Pillow overlay - just tack to the front of a solid-color throw pillow Dream pillows filled with herbs

Vintage Handkerchiefs - Decorating and Craft Uses
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I am an antique dealer and sell antiques and collectibles at the Attic Shoppe - http://www.atticshoppe.com I also make handmade greeting cards using antique postcards from the early 1900s and sell them at Victorian Cards - http://www.victorian-cards.com I hand knit scarves and sell old craft books and old sewing and quilting patterns at My Vintage Crafts. I enjoy using the Internet, making one-of-a-kind greetings cards using antique postcards, and decorating my home with antiques and collectibles.

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How to Make Christmas Ornaments With Styrofoam Balls and Fabric

A few years ago I discovered a very simple and fun technique for making beautiful and unique Christmas ornaments. These can be made for presents or for your own tree. You can make them in one afternoon with your kids or friends.

Materials:
Styrofoam Balls: assortment of sizes, but no bigger than a baseball.
Fabric Squares: assortment of sizes and various types of fabric, try glitzy and velvets.
Bits and Pieces: of ribbon, beads, sequins, buttons, rickrack, costume jewelry, ribbon roses or and anything else you would like to embellish your ornament with.
Hot Glue Gun and Scissors: to cut and glue all of your bits and pieces.
Thread: for tying and tightening
Small Pins and Tacks: to apply ribbon and beads.

Basic Techniques:

How to Make Christmas Ornaments With Styrofoam Balls and Fabric

Step 1:
Choose a gorgeous square piece of fabric. Place a Styrofoam ball in the center of the square.

Step 2:
Take all four corners and gather them towards the center of the Styrofoam ball (this is also how you can decide which size square works for which size ball).Take your piece of precut thread and tightly wrap it around the gathered area , dab it with a little bit of hot glue so it doesn't unravel.

Step 3:
Now you can decide if you should cut the gathered area of the fabric or leave it. It totally depends on how it looks. If the fabric seems too bulky in that area then you can shear it flat. If you do decide to cut the top portion off then you must cover that area with a ribbon rose or beads.

Step 4:
You must make a loop with ribbon, or beads on a wire, and attach it in the center of the Styrofoam ball with a pin or tack and again a little bit of glue; in the same area where you gathered and cut the fabric. This loop is how you will hang the ornament on the tree.

Step 5:
Now the real fun begins. Start attaching ribbon or beads or buttons; any of the embellishments that you have chosen. You can use little sequin pins or tacks and stick things in through the fabric and into the ball. Always use a small dab of glue; you don't want anything falling off!

When you think your ornament is complete twirl it around and make sure it looks wonderful from all angles. Make sure to cover or hide anything that doesn't look attractive. You can make all different sizes of ornaments. They are quite light and easy to hang.

How to Make Christmas Ornaments With Styrofoam Balls and Fabric
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How to Make Mountains and Hills For Your Model Railroad

Once you've got a train layout set up on a flat table, you might want to make it more interesting by adding some mountains and hills. There are a couple of ways to do this, and they are both easy.

Papier-Mâché Method

If your layout is temporary, or you don't want to spend much money, you can use the papier-mâché method. Basically, you just scrunch up some newspapers into the general shape of the hill or mountain, then cover them with sheets of newspaper dipped in papier-mâché paste.

How to Make Mountains and Hills For Your Model Railroad

The traditional method of making papier-mâché paste is to add one part water to one part flour. Some people prefer to boil the paste, saying that it makes the consistency smoother. Water to flour ratio is changed to five parts water to one part flour in this case. Other people use a three to one or a one to one ratio of water and polyvinyl acetate wood glue. Still others say that starch makes a fine paste. Adding a dash of cinnamon to the mixture gives the paste a pleasant smell; adding a dash of salt and sugar reduces the chances of the product developing mould.

You simply dip sheets of newspaper (fold them a couple of times to make them thicker) in the paste and drape them over the scrunched up newspapers. The sheets will be soft and pliable, so mould them into hills and valleys as you like. Let the papier-mâché dry overnight. You will find that it is hard and rigid, like a piñata.

Paint it with a water-based paint in shades of green (for grass) and brown (for dirt) and grey (for rock). You can also use spray paint, but make sure it is matte, not glossy, paint. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle some grass (available at the hobby shop) or green-coloured sawdust. When the paint is dry, add some lichen for bushes and trees (also available at any hobby shop).

Window Screening and Wooden Supports

If your train layout is permanent, a more durable method of making mountains and hills is to use screening and wooden supports. This also has the advantage that you can run tracks on the mountain itself, providing you make the appropriate supports. Basically, you cut wooden support blocks to the appropriate size, then drape window screening (called "fly screen" in Australia) over the blocks, stapling the screen to the blocks. You should fasten the blocks to the table with screws or nails first, so they don't move around.

If you want, you can build a second track bed around or through the mountain, elevated above the table. Simply use support blocks and plywood to make a rigid base for the track.

Once the screening is in place, pinch it in places to make rugged edges, ditches, and valleys. Then mix up some common household plaster (available at any hardware store to fix holes in a plaster wall) and slobber it over the screen. There is no need to be careful, just make sure all the screen is covered. A thicker plaster mix works much better than a thin mix, as the latter allows the screen to show through.

When you get to the rugged vertical bits, use horizontal strokes of a knife to simulate rock cuts. Let the plaster dry overnight and then paint as described above.

Finally, finish it off with lichen bushes and trees as appropriate.

Don't Forget Access

When you are deciding how big to make your mountain, and where to place it, also think about derailments. Murphy's Law guarantees that, at some point, your train is going to derail in the tunnel through your mountain. Make sure the tunnel entrance is large enough so you can reach in and get your train out.

Or consider these alternatives: If you have made a papier-mâché mountain, and not glued it to the table, you can simply lift it off the table.

If you have made a permanent wood block and wire screen mountain, then consider cutting access holes in the table, below the mountain, so you can reach in and right the train or remove it. Don't make the holes too close to the track, because if the train does derail at that spot, you don't want it to fall through the hole onto the floor.

How to Make Mountains and Hills For Your Model Railroad
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Doug Anderson has been making mountains out of mole hills for more than 50 years. You can get more tips and techniques for your model railroad at www.Model-Railroading.org. Also see Windows Stupidities and How to Fix Them for solutions to common problems with Windows.

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Winter Window Box Ideas - Holiday Decorating

Winter is a time when many window box enthusiasts leave their window boxes empty and barren. This is unfortunate, especially since there are many ideas you can use to decorate your window boxes in the winter. Winter is a fun and exciting time to try some decorating ideas for the holidays that you just can't pull off in the Spring or Summer. Here are some winter window box ideas for decorating and gardening. You can either plant flowers, plants, and vines that thrive in the winter or you can choose to go with a decorating theme for the Holiday season. Here's three of my favorite ideas:

1. Winter Window Box Vines: My two personal favorite vines for cold winter are Virginia Creeper and Boston Ivy. Both do very well in cold winter weather and both are climbing vines that are ideal for not only decorating your window boxes, but creating coverage that can spread across your entire house. During the Fall season and leading into winter these vines can often turn a reddish orange color making them ideal for the Holiday season. An alternative to climbing vines is hanging vines. Potato vine is a great hanging vine that will create a flow out of the box and a different look than your climbers will and is another favorite that does well year round.

2. Winter Window Box Flowers: Primroses and Pansies are a few choices for perennial flowers for winter window boxes. Beautiful blue and white flowering Forget-Me-Not flowers can make a great holiday display in your window boxes or you can go with a Christmas theme of red pansies and green ivy. Most winter flowers need to be planted in the Spring or Summer or they can be purchased in the winter from a local nursery and then placed in your window box. Some winter ferns also work well to bring a holiday look to your windowboxes.

Winter Window Box Ideas - Holiday Decorating

3. Holiday Decorating Ideas for Window Boxes: Lots of people will opt for a no maintenance solution during the winter and will empty out their flowers, plants, and vines to put in place a decorative display instead. This can involve using wreaths, holly, or evergreen branches placed within your window box to give it a decorative appearance. The use of pine cones, Christmas ball ornaments, ribbons, fake white foam snow balls, and Christmas lights are also other ideas you can use to give your window box a holiday feel.

There is no limit to the imagination you can use for decorating window boxes in the winter. Winter might be one of the best times of the year where you can truly let loose in terms of adding a little bit of personalization and creativity to your window planters. Good luck and have fun!

Winter Window Box Ideas - Holiday Decorating
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How to Create Green Patina on Copper Crafts For a Vintage Look

A patina can be defined as a thin layer of colored oxidation which occurs on some metals over time, such as the green or gray rust on copper or bronze. The romantic name is verdigris: Think of crusty old copper roofs or a weathered bronze statue. When making crafts using natural copper, adding a green patina can create the old-world appearance of a vintage artifact.

Here are five techniques to add patina to natural copper - and one outrageous shortcut. But before you start: Clean the copper to remove any grease or coating. With these recipes, be very careful with chemicals or ammonia: wear chemical gloves and work in a ventilated area. The solutions can be applied to the copper by spray, brush or sponge. The patina usually appears after the copper has dried completely. It may take several applications and results can vary wildly.

Okay, ready? The first four recipes are for the purists who must do everything from scratch.

How to Create Green Patina on Copper Crafts For a Vintage Look

Apply a mild solution of 20% salammoniac (found at metal supply stores) dissolved in 80% distilled water.Apply a solution of 50% Dormant Spray (Lime-Sulfur Fungicide found at garden supply stores) and 50% distilled water.Apply a solution of salt (10%), ammonium chloride (10%), liquid ammonia cleaner (20%), and wine vinegar (60%). Ammonium chloride can be purchased from chemical suppliers.Put the copper in a plastic or glass air-tight container. Cover the copper with a light layer of salt and put an open container of ammonia with it. Seal the container overnight.Purchase a copper patina solution at your craft store and follow the directions. This always works. And one outrageous shortcut: Sponge or brush on an imitation patina using blue, green and gray craft paints. Use your best antiquing techniques of dabbing and wiping. It is much faster and much more controllable than chemical mixtures.Verdigris patinas can be delicate, so protect your final dry copper surface with a clear finish like polyurethane or lacquer. Have fun making instant antiques!

How to Create Green Patina on Copper Crafts For a Vintage Look
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Scott Henderson founded Vintage Image Craft (http://www.vintageimagecraft.com) for crafters and scrapbookers who love creating with vintage images. Visit for free ideas, techniques, instructions and vintage image downloads.

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