Fun with Buttons

   When I was little my Grandmother (Grandma Dix)  had a big jar full of buttons.  There was also a needle and thread in that jar with a few buttons always on the string just inviting you to start sewing.  I think this is why buttons make me happy.  

We have recently acquired a multitude of buttons. It all started when I sent out a request to my family and friends for a few craft supplies and buttons happened to be on the list. When the buttons started rolling in I was more than happy to give them a home. 

  Living in Germany makes finding craft supplies challenging to say the least and buttons are a treasure.  They do sell buttons here but mainly at sewing and fabric stores or the small sewing sections in department stores.  There are no large craft stores like Michael's, Hobby Lobby or Joanne's  (or if there is I haven't found them).  You have to go out and hunt for what you need.  Very often when I find a craft I want to do it takes me several weeks to a month to gather all of the materials together because I can't get it all in one place or I have to order it online.  So I've become very flexible and thrifty with my crafts, which makes these buttons a treasure to me.

Last week when the buttons started rolling in I just threw them all into a jar and I thought that would be the end of it.  Then they kept coming and we out grew the jar.  So my sweet Mara sat with me and divided all of them up into separate mason jars by color. She was actually better at it then I was and kept catching my mistakes.  I think that got her excited about making something with the buttons, because that was all she talked about after that.  Buttons, buttons, buttons.  So the next day Mara, Marina and I sat down with some string and started to play.  

I had originally intended for them to just play randomly and string the buttons together like I did when I was a child. Mara decided right away that she wanted to make a bracelet.  So that's what she did. 

She picked every button herself and strung every button herself.  

She even wanted them in a certain order.  

Then she went on to make a necklace.  Isn't she cute as a button? 

I think what I love even more is that these buttons come from many different people and many different places and we will hopefully turn them into something beautiful.  It's recycling but in an even more personal way.   So thank you everyone that sent us buttons.  We can't wait to make many more wonderful things with them.  They brightened our day.  

~Sunny~