Autumn Button Tree
Upcycle a button collection into a tree. I used an assortment of wood buttons for my tree. Any type of buttons or colors would look adorable.
Do you have special buttons? My mom has a button that she and her sisters used for a game. It’s a large dark red button from a coat. The button is on a loop of cotton twine. The object of the game was to place the string over a finger on each hand. Then swing the button in a circle while the cord makes a twist. When the twist got tight enough, you moved your hand in and out to make the button spin fast. Sounds boring and truth be told, it was. Plus, there was always the chance the button would swing and hit you in the nose.
But that button is beautiful.
It’s an unwritten rule that button collections belong in mason jars. Except for the brief time, they break out to make a tree.
If I ever get tired of the tree, back in the mason jars, the buttons will go.
Upcycle a button collection into a tree. I used an assortment of wood buttons for my tree. Any type of buttons or colors would look adorable as well.
Materials for your own autumn button tree
- Piece of wood 11 by 14
- Piece of burlap slightly smaller than the wood
- Craft glue
- White chalk-based paint
- Thin hemp twine
- Cotton twine
- Large needle
- Pencil
- That Mason jar of buttons
Simple instructions for tree
- Create a fringe on the four sides of the burlap by pulling about three threads. Now, lightly draw a tall triangle in the middle of the burlap with a pencil.
- Next, place a special or unique button at the top of the triangle using the craft glue. Then continue filling in the shape by gluing buttons here and there. Another idea is to line up buttons about the same size all the way down the tree. Maybe changing the colors of each roll.
- Make sure to not glue the area around the buttonholes for two reasons. One is to sew the different twines through the holes for more texture. And two, if you lose a button off a blouse and the replacement is on the tree, you haven’t glued over the holes.
- Thread one of the twines on the needle and made little cross stitches here and there on some buttons. Do the same with the other twine. I keep my twines in mason jars sorta like my buttons.
- Next, add craft glue to the back of the twine and mount in the center of the board. Add a sawtooth hanger if you plan to hang your tree. I’m leaning mine on the mantel, so no sawtooth is needed.
Glad I never hit my tooth with a button while playing mom’s game.
Tabletop easels are a great way to display the autumn button tree.
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