Learning how to make button jewelry is a tradition that dates back to the Bronze Age, when buttons first appeared to be used with the purpose of decoration and embellishment. When they first appeared, buttons were made from bone, horn, and wood or even sea shells, later on more sophisticated materials were introduced.
More than any other item, buttons tell the story of history. The details and motifs used in button designs record the inventions of each generation, the historical and political events, stories and myths, the economic conditions and the way of life of the times. Buttons are also the one item that is constantly incorporated into jewelry. There are some examples in history when people learned how to make button jewelry to give to a loved one. During the United States civil war, ladies will give a button to their loved ones before they went to war. Many stories are told of soldiers who died with a button in his pocket or stories that recount how this memento kept them alive during those stressful times. The soldier also hid gold pieces inside their uniform buttons to use as ransom. During World War II buttons were made into lockets and pictures of loved ones were incorporated into them.
Contemporary jewelry artist today continue to bring the artistry and beauty of buttons into their jewelry. There are many beautiful jewelry pieces that incorporate ornate and colorful glass buttons. Many of these beautiful glass buttons were created before 1918, in factories in Bohemia (later to become part of Czechoslovakia). By WWII, many of these Jewish factory owners and workers fled 300 miles to a safer area and by 1950, the export of these beautiful buttons to the U.S. began again.
Learning how to make button jewelry will not only bring history into you work, but will allow you to give your designs an eclectic feeling. Handcrafted vintage button jewelry combines all of the components of quality, romance and mystery.
When handcraft button jewelry you are creating a truly unique, work of art. This one of a kind button jewelry designs are meant for those who are truly passionate about fashion and who are ready to make a statement.
Jewelry Design Tips
Before you start to design and fabricate button jewelry, start finding the special treasures you want to incorporate into your work. Visit antique shops, flea markets and even search in your own closet for those unique buttons. There are many website selling only vintage and antique buttons. You may also want to find unique buttons created today. There are many wonderful ceramic artist creating buttons that will work well for jewelry.
Once you found the special treasures you want to incorporate into your jewelry, you can bezel set them into a silver pendant. If you prefer a more simple approach, you can glue your buttons into a piece of copper using a strong “two in one” epoxy. You can find the tools and materials to create beautiful button jewelry.
