Crafts That Are Made Out of Buttons for Kids
- A lot of buttons!buttons image by Eldin Muratovic from Fotolia.com
Despite their intended use as fasteners for clothing, buttons have been sneaking their way into craft projects for a long time. With a million and one colors, textures and patterns, they make fascinating additions to games, mosaics, art projects and toys. These are just a few ways to incorporate buttons into crafts for kids. - Great buttons for flowersbuttons-braun image by michanolimit from Fotolia.com
Have the kids thread green pipe cleaners through the holes of large buttons, bringing about 1 inch up from the undersides through one hole and back down through another. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaners to hold them. Kids can cut out, and glue paper "petals" to the buttons and add leaves to the pipe cleaner stems to make daisy like flowers. Let them make several in different colors for button flower bouquets. - Fancy buttons for jewelryBowl of beads and buttons - craft supplies. image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
Give kids a pile of buttons, along with "beads" made by cutting soda straws into small pieces, and miscellaneous items with holes in them. String strong thread on large, blunt needles (embroidery needles are perfect) and let the kids use those to make necklaces and other jewelry. String buttons through one hole to stack them sideways, or up and down through two holes to face front. Put elastic cord through a fancy button to make a ring, or use larger loops of elastic cord for stretchy bracelets and chokers. - Just what you need for mosaicsbutton box image by Richard J Thompson from Fotolia.com
Let the kids arrange buttons upside down in a small cardboard box, adding pebbles, bits of smooth glass or marbles, leaves, and so forth. The box will become a plaster mold. Pour plaster of paris slowly into the box and allow it to harden. Push a paperclip halfway in near whichever end is "up" just before the plaster is completely hard, to use as a hanger. Tear away the cardboard box, and be sure to wash away any pieces of cardboard that stick by soaking for a minute or two in warm water. When the plaster is dry, they will have a mosaic they can hang on their wall or use as a paperweight. - One color for checker piecesButtons image by Yuriy Rozanov from Fotolia.com
Have the kids choose matching buttons in two colors, sizes or patterns--16 matching buttons for each side. They can draw a checkerboard on a large piece of poster board (8-by-8-inch squares for 64 total) and use the buttons as game pieces. This is also a good way to play tic-tac-toe, using a 3-by-3-inch square board. - Good buttons for hatsBeads and buttons isolated on white - craft supplies. image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
Buy inexpensive stocking caps for the kids, then teach them simple sewing skills by letting them sew buttons in decorative patterns on their hats. Give them an assortment of fancy and colorful buttons to choose from and let their imaginations soar.
