50 Button Crafts: idea #47 – button Christmas card ideas

Posted on December 14, 2015 by tellingfamilytales

button ornament card from sweetppaperie

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:

Christmas is just around the corner so I thought I’d share some of the fun Christmas card ideas using buttons. There are so many out there and the possibilities are endless but hopefully these will inspire you to create something memorable from your button stash.

Santa card from imeondesign

tree cards from love-and-lollipops

ho ho ho card from CookieDesignCards

wreath card from hopefulhoney

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 #46 – Button Wreath Ornament

Posted on December 8, 2015 by tellingfamilytales

button wreath ornament from MarthaStewart.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:

This button wreath is along the lines of the stack style button ornaments I shared a few weeks ago. A great project to do with kids and it lets them do their own thing. While green buttons are necessary you might check out this post on dying your own buttons. Or just buy a bag of buttons in greens from the craft store and enjoy the time to talk about Christmas memories and crafts you remember as a child. MarthaStewart.com has instructions here.

50 Button Crafts: idea #30 – button wreath

Posted on August 3, 2015 by tellingfamilytales

vintage button wreath by victorianpetals 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:

I’m coming to realize that I’m drawn to these ideas that use a bunch of white buttons. Why? Maybe because I figure everyone’s stash has lots of white or neutral colored buttons. Anyway, I think this is a really elegant look and timeless too. And what a wonderful way to honor an ancestor or ancestors by re-purposing their buttons. Make sure you document as best you can where the buttons came from. It will make the wreath have more value to your posterity if they understand the significance of these particular buttons.

Gift Idea #40 – Memory Wreaths

Posted on December 18, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

There are lots of other ways to put together a wreath than the one featured in Gift Idea #39. These are not so much geared to Christmas decoration but to share stories and memories about your family year round. There are lots of options for this project ranging from elegant to modern to shabby chic. Below are example using everything from clothes pins to canvas to lots of tiny picture frames.

The focus of your wreath could be vintage photos to photos you took last week. It could include just one person or grandparents or an entire family. Think of a story you would like to tell using photos and/or objects and gather what you have to work with and see where your creativity takes you. The examples below are just a jumping off point for your personal project.

Heirloom Wreath

Burlap and Canvas Family Heirloom Wreath

Canvas Collage Wreath

Family Tree Wreath

Picture Frame Memory Wreath

Clothespins Memory Wreath

Family Tree

This idea could be adapted to a wreath but I like it just the way it is too.

Gift Idea #39 – Christmas Wreath with Memorablia

Posted on December 17, 2012 by tellingfamilytales

Simple put this idea is to decorate a wreath with old family photos and other objects from your families past. This gives you the opportunity to share with others the stories about your ancestor.

I learned about this idea at a genealogy conference a couple of years ago. I went to a class by Lisa Louise Cooke. She opened my eyes to the possibilities of ways to share family stories. Lisa has put together four videos with detailed step by step instructions on how to make a family history Christmas wreath. You will find the links below. Have fun with this. Use these videos as a starting point and adapt the idea to your own taste situation.

Family History Christmas Wreath – part 1