Designing with Buttons~ A Technique Article
by Ali MacDonald
Buttons come in EVERY shape, size and colour. They can be funky or vintage, kiddie themed or pretty classy. I am ADDICTED to buttons! I have been asked a great number of questions about my buttons so I thought that writing an article addressing these questions would allow more of us to share in the wealth of fun that designing with buttons provides!
Sources of Buttons
I usually buy my buttons from a second-hand store where there is a HUGE button bin. The buttons are .35 cents per “packet.” The store puts the sets of buttons in little Ziplock bags and this is a “packet” that goes into the bin. There are 2 to 8 buttons in each one…The buttons sold this way are recycled from garments that were too damaged to be resold. One day I reached the cash with about $11.00 worth of “button treasure” in hand. The cashier looked at me questioningly- she thought I would balk and return them to the bin as she added them up, but I “needed” every single button I had chosen!
I also occasionally purchase buttons that I just LOVE online. Here are some that are fun, available at Savvy n Sassy!
In the past, Ebay has been a treasure trove of button buys for me. A year ago I bought HORSE buttons for my daughter Kate, who rides.
Choosing Buttons
I was always drawn to the larger buttons because of the visual impact they made, but I quickly learned that the larger buttons are not quite as useful on layouts! When choosing your buttons, be sure to pick out a variety of colours, shapes and sizes, but don’t buy too many large ones. Smaller buttons are very useful in creating the button clusters I have developed as part of my style, so I’m always sure to pick up smaller ones when I see a packet I like. Tiny buttons are useful as well. Be sure to keep some on hand. Buttons with shanks on the reverse are fine; they can easily be removed, so no worries!
Clear buttons will allow the colour of your cardstock to show through while adding dimension.
So, remember that:
- Neutrals are handy.
- Clear buttons add dimension.
- Variety in colour and shape is good.
- Buy large buttons in moderation!
- Shanks are fine: can be removed.
- You can never have enough small buttons!
Button Storage
To store my buttons: I repurposed a veggies/dip container from a major chain grocery store and use it to sort my buttons and keep them in. I sort it by metallic buttons, coloured buttons, blingy buttons, and neutral shades (including my wooden ones). You could also sort by size. My button container is shown above!
I like this container because it's clear: I can see what I have. It’s also large enough for me to run the buttons through my hands when searching for ‘the one’ I need.
EDITED April 2010: I also use a variey of clear glass containers (square jars) and I sort the buttons in those by colour. Clear buttons have a square jar as well.
Preparing Buttons for Use
The buttons with shanks are easy to prepare for use. Use a tool called side cutters (a type of pliers) to nip off the shanks. Be careful when doing this as the shank sometimes flies off with some velocity. Use safety glasses or cover the item with a piece of cardstock when nipping off the shanks.
Affixing buttons to a layout is easy. First decide on positioning, then apply a mini Glue Dot to the reverse of your button. I sometimes use 2 mini Glue Dots for this if the button is large. I buy all my Glue Dots from a scrappy store.
Design Inspiration and Samples
Buttons help make a statement here, placed along the edges of a photo and a journaling block. Note the mixture of button sizes and tones of the grey & charcoal.
You can make an altered item POP with a button cluster! This altered file folder stays on my desk, and is used for my promotional work. Now it's super-pretty !
Apply a big button as a flower centre and it's a HIT: Bull's-Eye! You could change the look of the flower by using a big pale pastel button, as I did here, or a darker- toned button instead.You could even use a cluster of tiny pale buttons as the flower centre!
Button Clusters
You can also make a button cluster as an embellishment right on your page. Creating these clusters is my passion! Here's what I do...
I add button clusters once all other elements including my journaling are completed. I use buttons in the same colour family as the tones in my LO. I gather a big pile of buttons I think will “work well” together and not take attention away from the photo(s) on the layout. I place these on my work area. Using good lighting, I begin placing the buttons on the layout. I choose a spot that “needs” a little something, and go from there.
To me, individual buttons are not the accent here, the "Button Cluster" itself is.
To decide where the buttons “fit” in the cluster, I push them around, reposition and fiddle with the choices available. I push aside buttons that don’t “work.” Once I am satisfied that I have the cluster arranged just as I want it, I adhere the buttons as described above.
A button cluster also adds punch to the colours in your patterned paper, as seen in the two layouts below.
I love the "feel" of these Button Clusters... they're like smooth river stones when you run your hand over them. Can you tell I'm a texture-loving person?
In the "Stunner" LO below, I used a dark plum-toned button as the flower centre and a blend of dark and light buttons in the cluster. It really "works!" By the way, this is my daughter Kate.
You can even blend button clusters with pretty brads, like the bright floral ones seen here from Queen and Co.
Do YOU have buttons needing a “home?” Embellish a layout or card with them. As you’ve seen, designing with buttons can add an unexpected touch of fun, class or colour to your paper-arts.
Let the versatility of buttons amaze and inspire you!
A FINAL NOTE!!
RAK for SnS and SOS girls!!!
There's still time to enter!!!!
Thanks SO MUCH for popping by!
Please leave a comment telling me what you thought of this article... and what other techniques you'd like to learn more about.
