Charms | telling family tales

Repurposed Button Charms from ECT TV

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 another twist on using buttons for charms. If you have other family memorabilia or maybe just the odd piece of “junk” why not mix it in with your buttons to add more history and interest to the project? This also give more room to make the charm more masculine with some hardware from grandpa’s nuts and bolts stash. Here is the tutorial video.

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.

Charm necklaces and bracelet are very popular these days. I’ve made a charm necklace for the puppies that I raise for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Then when they leave us to return for training I wear it everyday until their graduation. When I miss them, I can reach up and feel the charms and think that they are close to my heart.

The same principle will work for family members too. Pick a few charms that represent the person in someway. The family member could be someone who is far away for some reason or one who has recently passed away or even someone from the distant past that your family is focusing on. You could make a card to give along with the charms to explain the symbolism behind your choices. I think key chains would be a good choice for male family members or someone who doesn’t like jewelry.