Button It Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares, and More

by Susan Beal

Button It Up by Susan Beal is a delightful celebration of vintage charm and creativity, offering 80 stylish and accessible projects that transform humble buttons into eye-catching jewelry, accessories, and home décor.

From bold pendants and whimsical brooches to embellished curtains, keychains, and totes, this book is packed with step-by-step instructions and beautifully illustrated techniques that make it easy to dive in regardless of skill level. Whether you’re raiding your grandmother’s button jar or treasure-hunting at flea markets, Beal shows you how to turn every find into something fabulous.

Alongside the projects, you’ll discover fun tidbits about button history and culture, making this not just a how-to guide, but a love letter to one of the most overlooked yet versatile craft materials.

Perfect for crafters, vintage lovers, and DIY gift-makers, Button It Up is a buttoned-up bundle of inspiration you’ll reach for again and again.
 

Genres: Crafts, Sewing, Nonfiction, Art

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are plenty of clever projects in here, some expected and kitschy, but many clever and well-crafted. Plenty of nicely styled photographs and terse DIY instructions (but most are easy to figure out) have you up and creating quickly. The introduction to materials, tools, and techniques and a brief history of buttons is at the start of the book, followed by jewelry projects, then home decor, ending with clothing and gifts. I wish the home decor and clothing embellishments were more numerous, if only photos of variations of the given ideas. There is one switch of photos that had me confused, page 54 and 57 are transposed. But otherwise, the book is well organized. Lots of inspiration here to use up or start a button collection!

[Jeffery Rudell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I can appreciate the work involved in almost all crafts, my personal tastes run more to the "crafted" rather than the "crafty". This is not mere snobbishness on my part (though some might think otherwise). What I most appreciate is an effort to transcend the expected. Yes, a crocheted toilet tissue cozy IS charming, but let's face it, I've seen it done a hundred times before.

When it comes to "button" crafts one more often than not expects the projects to lean heavily in the direction of things that might most appeal to your grandmother. That is not the case with this book. Containing mostly jewelry projects (though with a few home decor and embellishment projects, too) it is clear the author knows a thing or two about design, art, and fashion. Some of these projects would not be out of place on the runways of New York or Paris. These is a definite sense of whimsy in some of the work but it is all charming and much of it can only be called chic.

This is a shining example of the different between something that looks "hand-crafted" and something that looks merely "homemade". The projects in this book definitely fall into the former category by looking both youthful (without looking juvenile), and current (without looking trendy).

(BTW, I've begun -- slowly -- collecting the occasional button or buttons I happen to find at flea markets and bizarres. And so it begins...)

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had seen this on Craft’s blog, and was exited about it, but it didn’t really live up to my expectations. Some of the projects were cute, but other than the magnets, there weren’t really any I’d do. Many were embellishments, and while they were cute, a shirt with buttons on it is just a shirt with buttons on it. It also stressed vintage buttons a little too much for my tastes. Yes, vintage buttons are great, but not all of us have or inherited stashes. I’m glad I got it through ILL and didn’t buy it when my library didn’t have it.

[Tabatha Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I saw this book I thought 'what a great idea'. Sadly the book lacked any imagination and most of the suggestions look basic, cheap, and uninviting.

However it would be perfect for beginners or children as it is very basic. Hopefully an updated version would have more imagination.

[Leah]

Just got this in the mail and so excited to do some of the projects. If only my button stash was as extensive as my ribbon stash!

[Meredith Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this is SUCH a cute book and so many great adorable projects, if you like buttons, it'll be even more appealing!!

[Mzfitz]

TCLIB 745.584 BEAL

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little projects to try!

[Dolldiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great projects for using different buttons in various ways.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mix of projects in here. Some were not my style, but some were really fun! I've definitely got the buttons!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good 'ole crafty fun. Who doesn't love them some cute buttons.

[Jaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reminder of how beautiful buttons are. Some great projects that will need a skilled crafter to make them.