Growing up in northern Wisconsin, or “snow country,” as my mother always says, crafting was an integral part of surviving winter. Sure, we went sledding, ice skating, and made snow forts, but there’s nothing quite as reliable as a skein of yarn or a bottle of ModgePodge and scrapbook paper to keep you from succumbing to cabin fever during sub-zero temps and blizzard-like conditions.
As I rifled through my extensive collection of craft supplies recently, I saw a big bag of buttons that I’ve accumulated over the years. Fortuitously, shortly thereafter, I saw an empty pickle jar. And thus: our next family craft project was born. Given our recent encounter with the now-infamous Polar Vortex, a respite from fighting over the wii remotes and a dwindling supply of library books was definitely in order.
My three girls are in 7th grade, 4th grade, and 1st grade. Here’s what we came up with from a pile of buttons and some empty jars:
Here’s what you’ll need for this craft:
* Buttons, beads, and/or gems. My girls also used some ancient iron-on appliques and some tiny silk roses to their projects for variety. Dig into your art supply drawer or sewing repair kit and be creative!
* Clean, empty jars and bottles – any size. We raided our recycling bin and found a pickle jar, a curry paste jar, an old aspirin bottle, and a small jar for bouillon cubes.
* Spray paint, if you want a more opaque look (optional)
* Glue gun
* Ribbon, if desired
How to do it:
1. If using a plastic bottle, you might want to spray paint the outside surface.
2. Using glue gun, apply dot of glue to bottle.
3. Carefully affix the button/gem/bead of your choice.
4. Repeat until surface is covered to your liking.
5. Trim bottle rim with ribbon or cording to your liking. Using a dot or two of glue here will help keep your embellishment in place.
If you don’t like much space between your buttons, sprinkle seed beads around the button before the glue dries. The display possibilities are endless: use your creations as votive holders, or fill with seasonal greenery or silk flowers. My oldest daughter is going to use one of them for a make-up brush holder on her dresser, and my youngest is using hers as a pencil holder. My middle daughter is giving hers to her teacher as a gift. Customizing this project is as easy as choosing different button colors – think green for St. Pat’s, for example — or getting creative with your spray painting.
Have fun – and be sure to share links to your own creations!
Today’s Guest Post was brought to you by:
Melissa Lasko is a mom of 3 girls and a freelance writer. To keep life interesting, she crafts, cooks, and studies the Urban Dictionary, and single-handedly keeps her local Starbucks in business. Mel’s 2014 New Year’s resolutions include finally putting her three dressers-full of unused art supplies to good use. To read the basis for her upcoming Previvor memoir, check out her blog post entitled “Boobs and Consequences.”
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