My friend Kim's single-bud button bouquet (photo credit: Katherine Neer)

In my spare time, I like to make things. And a lot of the time, I like to repurpose old stuff into something new — you know, that whole recycled crafts thing that many of us are doing these days. So in honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share one of my favorite projects.

If you’re like me, you have an ever-expanding collection of buttons. There are all those extra little buttons that come with new sweaters and shirts. Then there are all those buttons that fall off older clothes but never seem to get put back on them. And then there are those colorful buttons you just can’t seem to resist at yard sales and the thrift store. Come on – who among us hasn’t purchased a threadbare, former-moth-snack cardigan just for its beautiful Bakelite buttons? (Well, at least you hope they might be Bakelite.) Oh, OK, maybe that last part is just me. But seriously, how are you supposed to resist these little treasures in all their multi-colored, multi-sized, shiny, matte, iridescent, plastic, metal, wood, leather, shell, glass, clay and faux pearl glory?

So, what’s a craftsy girl or guy to do with all these buttons? Well, there’s the obvious — sewing them on clothing, bags, scarves and so on, or making them into fun, funky jewelry. Or, as you’re about to find out, you could think spring and create a colorful bouquet that won’t have you reaching for your allergy medicine. And, not to worry — if you’re thinking that you’re arts-and-crafts-challenged, this really isn’t a difficult project. In fact, if you have the supplies on hand, you could whip up a little arrangement in no time. And you might be so pleased with the finished product, that you’ll know just what to give mom for Mother’s Day.

To get started, here’s what you’ll need:

• Buttons (the more variety, the better)
• 18-, 20-, 22- or 24-gauge wire (I like to use green floral wire, regular copper wire, and permanently colored copper wire)
• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers (With finer gauge wire, I just use my hands but you might want the pliers for bending and twisting the heavier wire.)

Button bouquet supplies (photo credit: Katherine Neer)

Once you’ve got everything gathered, it’s just a matter of putting the buttons and the wire together. You can do this in a couple ways. You can take the single bud approach or you can create an entire blooming stem. For a single bud, take a 12-inch length of wire and either use one button or a layered pair of buttons, nested together. Bend the wire in half so that you have a loose loop at one end (it’ll look like a long, super skinny horseshoe). Then push the ends of the wire through the buttonholes and skootch the button all the way up toward the top bend of the wire. Then twist your ends together to make the stem. To make a blooming stem, use single buttons, follow the same process as above using a longer piece of wire. After the first button, though, twist the wire only a few times and then push on another button. Continue down the stem about two-thirds of the way with buttons. After the last button, twist the remaining wire to set your stem.

You can turn this into a kid-friendly project and use pipe cleaners and oversized buttons. And if you really want to snazz things up — get some felt or foam sheets and cut out a few flower shapes. Then you use can use scissors to make a slit in the center of each fabric flower. Attach a button to the center by looping a pipe cleaner through it, twist the pipe cleaner stem, and voilà, you’ve got a big flower. Once you have your flowers, you can bundle them together with some decorative ribbon or place them in an old glass jar or bottle.

I’m including some photos of the finished products below. And do forgive the wonky fabric ones — I just whipped those up this morning for this post.

Blooming button stems and button/fabric flowers (photo credit: Katherine Neer)

What recycled crafts do you make? Please leave a comment with your favorite repurposed projects.

Close-up shot of button bouquet and fabric/button flower (photo credit: Katherine Neer)