the prettiest button? The answer is: the gal wearing the most eye-catching, zingiest buttons, the ones that absolutely make an outfit! Perhaps she has jewelry to match. Maybe she made the buttons herself! Any way you look at it, the button game is one that we could all easily play, if we just take a little time to think about what all we can do with buttons.
There are many handy products that can result in fashion magic, as far as buttons are concerned.
The matching jewelry mentioned above is achieved easily by purchasing earring bases which are especially made for attaching buttons. You can mount your favorite commercial or home-covered buttons on silver or gold findings for shank or clasp earrings, scatter pins, cufflinks, tie tacks or finger or scarf rings. The list just given could keep you busy for several hours!
Covering buttons is a cinch with the proper equipment. Many garments look fabulous with large or small covered buttons, then add earrings to match to complete the look. There are several types of kits for covering buttons, and the kits come in a variety of sizes and in styles of half ball, flat, two-tone (a half ball plus a rim, each separately covered), and the kind with a metal rim and fabric covered center.
Commercial buttons offer such a myriad of intriguing designs that a display of them looks like a hobbyist’s collection. You can get small to large round, square, triangle and assorted shapes that can be plain through such designs as flags, liberty bells, eagles, baseball decals – you name it, you can find buttons to meet the need.
In addition to shapes and sizes, materials that buttons are made of also lend unique qualities. There are porcelains, glass, wood, metal and plastic buttons. The influence of cultures from all around the world is seen in various button designs.
Don’t just put buttons on your blouses and dresses - buttons have dozens of applications. Use buttons as decorations on purses, tote bags, on your shoes, on a belt or make scatter pins from decorative buttons. Use buttons as part of decorative wall hanging, or let the kids have a length of yarn, string a few large buttons on it and tie the ends for a perfectly good necklace.
What other uses can you come up with for buttons? Let us know and we’ll pass them along to our readers.
