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Interesting Crafts: Make your own buttons

Can't find the buttons you want? Make them!

If you have ever agonized over finding The Exact Right Buttons for something you have made, then maybe next time you should explore this option: make your own! I didn't even know this was possible until I read Orange Swan's recent blog post on the subject. (It's not that I had considered the thought and discarded it; I hadn't considered it at all.)

There are a lot of ways you can make buttons, based on the materials and skills you have on hand, and what you want for your project. Polymer clay (like FIMO) is probably the best place for most people to start. FIMO comes in a million different colors, it's cheap, and easy to use and bake.

I was particularly intrigued to see that this tutorial has you use white polymer clay, then use acrylic paint to color it after it is done. This would be great for people who already have a lot of acrylic paint on hand, and/or want to match a specific color. You can mix colors with polymer clay, but it's a lot easier to get a precise color by mixing paint.

I also love the idea of making wooden beads, although I don't happen to have a dremel or a decent hand saw. Wooden beads are wonderful, though, and I prefer them unpainted, showing off the beauty of the wood grain and the bark. There are some local craftspeople who make and sell this type of button, and they are beautiful but expensive (and not always in the exact size you need).

When it comes to adding buttons to your knitting, this simple style of button works really well. I used to use shank buttons, until I found this great tutorial on a foolproof, bulletproof way to sew a button onto your knitting which basically creates a mock shank.

Image courtesy Flickr/Blue Yonder

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