A Nothing To Do on a Snowy Afternoon Project: My Button Bouquets Revisited

As the weather turns colder, I like to hunker down in front of the fire and do a little crafty project. Sometimes on a lazy Sunday afternoon, once I've read the Times and done my fill of the crossword puzzle, I sort through my button collection and make a few button bouquets.

Later today on my Etsy site, I'll be listing a white bouquet I made along with a vintage floral pitcher. I love the flowers on this pitcher. So 1940's! Doesn't the button bouquet look sweet in this piece?

If you're looking for a simple "nothing to do on a snowy afternoon project," give these button bouquets a try. Here's my tutorial, originally posted in October 2007, to give you some guidance . . .

What you'll need: an array of buttons, 22 gauge green florist stem wire (cut to 18 inches long), green floral tape, needle-nose pliers, wire cutters and green polysilk leaves.

How to make the bouquet: sort through your buttons and decide on a color scheme. You'll need both interesting small buttons that you can feature on the top of each blossom and more plain large ones to be used under those. Begin to stack multiple buttons on top of each other to create dimensional flowers. Fold the florist wire in half and thread both wire ends through the button holes, staring with the smallest to the largest button in the stack. Using the pliers, twist the wires tightly together under the last button. Add florist leaves and wrap the wire stems in floral tape, starting at the top and working your way down to the base.

Arrange your "flowers" in a vase and you're done!

Aren't they pretty?

(This post is linked to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Check it out!)

Susan

Comments

[Becky]

I love this button arrangement. So much I bought it. Thanks for the tutorial for how you made it. I'm going to try this with some of my vintage buttons.

[Barbara]

I love this project and I'm so glad you didn't glue the buttons together. This way, if there's one you need for something you can easily take it apart.

[Betty Jo]

How sweet your button bouquets are! I so love buttons and this is such a fun way to use them. xoxo

[Betty Jo]

How sweet the button bouquets are! I so love buttons and this is such a fun way to use them. xoxo

[natalie jo]

While your button bouquets are lovely and definately on my "to do" list, I am IN LOVE with the fabric underneath the pitcher. Believe me I've already tagged it a favorite from your Etsy shop and am in a moral dilemma as to whether or not to break my pre-Christmas promise of NO personal purchases until after the big day. Who am I kidding...I have all intentions of breaking my promise once I devise a way to sneak it in from the mailbox without any of the big eyed tattlers in the house telling on me.

[Nicole]

How cute!
Perfect for all the buttons I just "inherited" (couldn't say no to) from my mother.

Thanks for the tutorial! :)

[kitschen pink]

just beautiful! and so clever to keep them all white- sometimes simple really is the best! They look like lovley dollops of cream! t.x

[Sojourn]

I think they're just precious. I think the pic of the little white vase is just so beautiful. It's my hope to one day try making a bouquet of my own.

[Claire]

So cute! I love buttons. Can you believe my daughter has a button phobia?!? She's sure they're going to somehow fly off and choke her. Weird.
Naturally, she won't wear them. Oh the precious outfits I wanted to buy the girl over the years, but couldn't.

[Melody]

Ooooh you are soooo smart! Those look like candy. Just yummy.

[Rachel]

LOVE the button boquets!! Can't wait to make some of my own!! Thanks!
http://orchardviewcottage.blogspot.com/

[Kathy]

Lovely! thanks for the tutorial:>)