Category Archives: DOABLE approach

six steps to the DOABLE approach to telling your family’s tales

50 Button Crafts: idea #36 – vintage button brooch

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vintage button brooch by Laura Carson

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

While this vintage button brooch is fancier than my style, I think it is well done and inspiring. Plus there is a very detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to make the brooch on Gingersnap Creations. I think it is a lovely way to showcase an ancestors photo and some buttons, jewelry and other small trinkets. Reminds me of an old damaged pocket watch I have from my Dad’s side of the family. Something like this might be perfect.

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

50 Button Crafts: idea #35 – button bowl

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button bowl via wonderfuldiy.com

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

Here is an idea that is completely different. I don’t think I ever would have come up with this idea but with a balloon and white glue along with your button stash you can actually make a bowl! It wouldn’t be good for food but I can image some balls of yarn or just let it speak for its self along with a photo or two of the ancestor whose buttons you used to make your bowl. Click on the photo above for detailed instructions and even a video.

another button bowl from wonderfuldiy.com

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World – 20th Anniversary

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http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/5870329/216f32c8d89d41a99cc4c265a88d34d6893a6103?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget

A few years ago I put together a book for my family using the text from “The Family: A Proclamation to the World”. Since this month marks the 20th anniversary of this document, I thought it would be a good time to share it. Over the coming weeks I will put together png files so that if you want to make your own book with you family photos you can do it with whatever software you like. I hope this works out to be a good way to share my projects. I’ll be happy to share an InDesign template with anyone who has Adobe InDesign. The advantage of the template is then you could customize anything in the document you would like. I was inspired to make this book by a project I found on the internet and is now available on PrestoPhoto.com as a photo book template.

50 Button Crafts: idea #34 – button & crochet bracelet

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button and crochet bracelet by iceice on Etsy.com

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

If you have some crocheting experience here is yet another way to make a button bracelet. I like it because it also highlights a skill many of our ancestors had. Here are a couple other samples of crocheted button bracelets with tutorials though one will need some translation to follow along.

button and crochet bracelet by Priscilla Hewitt

crochet and button bracelet by Creazioni Rita C.

button and crochet bracelet from craftideas.us

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

50 Button Crafts: idea #33 – button spiders

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buttons spiders from bethapalooze

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

I know Halloween is still almost two months away but this little button spiders caught my eye today and I couldn’t resist. I’m actually afraid of spiders. Not so bad that I can’t function around them as long as I know exactly where they are and there is no danger of them ending up on me. But if you are having a family gathering for Halloween, these would be so much fun for the kids to make or you could put together a kit and send them off to far away families. You could also make some up and add a pin on the back and send them as gifts. It would be especially fun if your family has stories or traditions centered around Halloween or spiders. We lived next to a sugar cane field when I was little and the cane spiders made an indelible impression on me. These little button spiders would be a fun way to share memories of those times.

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

50 Button Crafts: idea #32 – button clouds

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button clouds by TheButtonzBoutique on Etsy

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

Not sure why I chose to feature these buttons clouds this week but they spoke to me so here they are. I know I’m drawn to the simple white button crafts and I love this song. I even picked it as the ring tone for my “time to fix dinner” alarm on my phone. I think I might make a version of this for my husband for his birthday this year.

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

Family Tree: 50 family trees

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family tree from http://www.grillyourgranny.com

Looking from some interesting and decorative family tree? The Paper Tree at GrillYourGranny.com might be just what you are looking for. They have several family trees that you can order printed copies of plus they have a CD you can order with 50 family tree images that you can print your self or take to your local print shop.

8 generation fan chart from GrillYourGranny.com

50 Button Crafts: idea #31 – button rings

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vintage button rings from holy-craft.com

Got a box or jar full of buttons carefully saved by your mother or grandmother? For 2015 I’m in search of great ways to put those buttons to use. Here is this week’s idea:

If you have some one of a kind buttons this idea would be a great solution. Click on the photo above for a step by step tutorial using a few basic supplies like 28 gauge wire and wire cutters. I can imagine pairing the ring with a photo and a story of the ancestor would make a priceless gift.

It would be a good idea to document where the buttons for your project came from and any relevant stories or information about that person or family. If you are looking for more button crafts, check out my Pinterest board.

Printer’s Tray Shadow Box

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vintage items displayed in a printer’s tray via Pinterest

I’ve got a couple of similar printer’s trays that I was luck enough to pick up at an auction in the Boston area more than 10 years ago. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest using printer’s trays. I shouldn’t be surprised but I never really thought about it. Maybe I’ll have to start a new Pinterest board to collect ideas. I’ll just let it percolate for now. What do you think?

Family Tree: Metro Map Style

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If My Family Was a Metro System by Colville-Andersen

Here is an interesting variation on how to represent your family tree. I love the idea! Here is what the creator said about this project:

So I was thinking. What if my massive family was a metropolitan transit system? What would the map look like? Well… here it is.

Family trees are a tricky thing to make. They have a specific structure that is difficult to avoid. It took a good 16 hours to finish this design. Most of it was spent working out the system of how to represent the different lines – as well as the many quirky variations like different dads for two kids from the same mum, etc.

The symbolism is interesting and I haven’t figure what all of it means yet but it is a brilliant infographic on a very complex family structure. Many family structures are not straight forward and simple and I really like this solution. How would your family metro map look?