Button mad

I knew writing these posts was going to be awful.  I've been putting this off for weeks, wracking my brains for a subject.  I was going to do a post on Hallowe'en, but I've decided to save that for next.  So I'm back at buttons.

The reason for having so many buttons in the first place is that I use them in making earrings.  My favourite are the little 8mm four-holed matte ones, which come in a massive range of colours.  They're the mainstay of my button stud earrings collection, and I nearly had a heart attack a couple of years ago when they stopped producing the purple ones.  I do use other sizes of this type of button, but 8mm seems to be the ideal.

From there it was a logical leap to using the wide variety of character buttons that are available.  You can get a themed button for almost anything these days, and some of them are just too cute to pass up.  (See how I managed to casually fit Hallowe'en in there?)  The seasonal studs are perfect for office wear where you want to have a bit of fun but rules prohibit dangly earrings, and they're very popular with children, too.  I'm currently trying to source the little magnets, so that kids without pierced ears can have them as well.

Buttons come in a variety of materials; you'd expect plastic, ceramic, metal, even wood, but what about Swarovski crystal, or coconut shell like the one used for the brooch above?  This one's quite large at 40mm, and I've used matching but smaller ones to make earrings.  They come in all shapes and sizes, so it seems silly just to sew them on clothes.  They deserve to be showcased; they may be utilitarian, but that doesn't mean they can't look good at the same time.