Button Crafts: 7 Ideas Plus Free Instructions

Perhaps You’re Wondering: “What Can I Make With Buttons?” The Answer: Lots of Things! Try Making Button Jewelry; Button Art; Button Collages; Mending Projects; Christmas Button Crafts; Button Crafts for Kids; Button Crafts to Sell; and More

If you need some new supplies for making button crafts, consider getting yourself some spectacular Czech glass buttons like these. But if you already have some stray buttons hanging around your place, and you need to find a good use for them, read on to get bunches of fabulous ideas -- plus free project instructions.

If you need some new supplies for making button crafts, consider getting yourself some spectacular Czech glass buttons like these. But if you already have some stray buttons hanging around your place, and you need to find a good use for them, read on to get bunches of fabulous ideas — plus free project instructions.

Do you have buttons in your craft supply stash? Are you interested in finding creative uses for old buttons — perhaps single buttons that don’t have any mates and aren’t good candidates for using on your knitting / crocheting / sewing projects; or perhaps fancy Czech glass buttons or other spectacular vintage buttons that are too nice to keep stashed in a drawer?

Christmas Button Crafts

Want to use buttons for embellishments on Christmas ornaments, Christmas cards or Christmas jewelry? Here are some ideas:

1. Christmas Tree Applique

You can embellish this cute Christmas tree applique with buttons, buttons and more buttons. This is a fantastic way to use up mismatched buttons, if you have them. If you have one fancy button, you can stitch it to the top of the tree. Another idea: You can layer one button on top of another one. You can see an example of this in the photo at above right -- just look at the top of the tree to see the layered buttons.

You can embellish this cute Christmas tree applique with buttons, buttons and more buttons. This is a fantastic way to use up mismatched buttons, if you have them. If you have one fancy button, you can stitch it to the top of the tree. Another idea: You can layer one button on top of another one. You can see an example of this in the photo at above right — just look at the top of the tree to see the layered buttons.

This crocheted Christmas tree applique is an easy project — and if you have bunches of oddball buttons that don’t match each other, this is the ideal project for using them up. You can grab the free crochet Christmas tree pattern here on our website.

2. Crochet Christmas Tree Ornament With Button Embellishments

Here's the perfect button craft for Christmas: A Christmas tree ornament where your buttons make up the Christmas tree topper and all the other decorations.

Here’s the perfect button craft for Christmas: A Christmas tree ornament where your buttons make up the Christmas tree topper and all the other decorations.

Want to make a Christmas ornament that’s similar to the Christmas tree applique pictured above? Simply make 2 of the appliques, stitch them together partway, stuff with wool roving or fiberfill, and complete the task of stitching them together. You can xheck out the completed Christmas ornament and find more information here.

3. Christmas Button Necklace

DIY Button Necklace: Free Crochet Pattern

DIY Button Necklace: Free Crochet Pattern

If you have a large focal button in your stash, here’s a fantastic idea for what to do with it: Use it as the main adornment for a crocheted necklace band. You can get the free pattern and instructions for this DIY button necklace at Knittingcrochetcrafts.com.

The photo above shows you how it can look if you make this piece using Christmas colors of red and green. However, this design can work well for other holidays and occasions if you make it in other colors. How about orange and black for Halloween, burnt orange and white if you’re a Texas Longhorns fan, or yellow and purple if you’re an LA Lakers fan?

See Also: Christmas Crafts | Jewelry Making | Necklace Patterns

Greeting Cards With Buttons

4. Paper Lace Greeting Card With Flower and Button

DIY Greeting Card with Flower, Buttons and Paper Lace

DIY Greeting Card with Flower, Buttons and Paper Lace

If you have flower stamps in your craft supplies stash, you can use them to stamp floral images for embellishing the fronts of your greeting cards; then stitch buttons to the flower centers to add a bit of dimension to each card. One example is pictured above; you can find free instructions for making this card at PaperLaces.

ACEO Cards and Art Trading Cards With Buttons

I enjoy sewing buttons onto small pieces of artwork including but not limited to ACEO cards and art trading cards. Here are a few ideas you can use for inspiration when you make your own ACEO or art trading cards:

5. Botanical Illustrations With Buttons

Botanical Art Trading Card With Buttons and Embroidery -- Original Art by Amy Solovay

Botanical Art Trading Card With Buttons and Embroidery — Original Art by Amy Solovay

Click here to get free instructions for making ACEO cards / Art Trading Cards (ATCs) that are similar to these.

6. Collage Art With Buttons

Mixed Up Memories of a Colorful Life -- Collage Art With Buttons

A Mixed Media Collage Featuring Buttons and Spin Art


Standing Out and Fitting In: Mixed Media Art with Buttons and Spin Paintings by Amy Solovay

Standing Out and Fitting In: Mixed Media Art with Buttons and Spin Paintings by Amy Solovay

You can attach buttons to your mixed media and collage art pieces. An example is pictured above. Click here to find our main directory of free instructions for collage art. If you’re in search of button craft ideas for kids, collage is an excellent possibility to consider.

7. Mending Clothes

Remember to keep some of your buttons available for mending clothes. It’s all too common to lose a button and then not be able to easily find a replacement.

Button Crafts to Sell

Permission is granted for you to make and sell crocheted items using Amy Solovay’s free crochet patterns that are posted at Knittingcrochetcrafts.com — which includes the crochet Christmas tree applique, Christmas tree ornament and Christmas button necklace pictured above. It also includes the other crochet projects designed by Amy Solovay that you’ll find at Knittingcrochetcrafts.com. However, please note that you MUST take your own photos of the finished projects you create using Amy’s patterns. Permission is NOT GRANTED for using the photos at Knittingcrochetcrafts.com for any purpose — not for selling your items, not for pinning on Pinterest and not for using at any other blog, website or social media network.

So there you have it: That concludes this roundup of fun button crafts that are suitable for kids, adults and seniors. We hope you found some button craft ideas that appeal to you.

If you found this page helpful, I invite you to return to this site often for more craft tutorials, project ideas and inspiration! You can make sure you keep this site on your radar by signing up for my newsletter and community at Substack. .



Basic subscriptions are free; I send out regular newsletters to let my subscribers know about new craft articles and tutorials as they are posted. I also share details about the craft projects I’m working on, and invite my readers to share their projects, too. So there is no need to feel like it’s just you, crafting all alone at home. I’d love to have you join us! You’re invited!!

By Amy Solovay

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About the Author:

Amy Solovay

Amy Solovay


Amy Solovay is a real, live, human content creator and educator who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Sweet Briar College; she has also earned a separate Associate of Arts degree in textile design from FIDM LA (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles). She is NOT a robot and does not use artificial intelligence (AI) to write book reviews or articles for this website. She


Amy learned to crochet as a small child, and she still enjoys crocheting all these years later.


I'm excited about this book, Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman! I am super proud of the 2 patterns I contributed to this pattern collection. I hope you'll check out the fingerless gloves and the beaded necklace I designed for this book. Thanks for taking a look at them!

I’m excited about this book, Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman! ! I am super proud of the 2 patterns I contributed to this pattern collection. I hope you’ll check out the fingerless gloves and the beaded necklace I designed for this book. Thanks for taking a look at them!


As an educator, Amy Solovay used to teach in-person college courses in trend forecasting, marketing and surface design at California Design College in Los Angeles.


If you’re interested in reading Amy’s personal blog, she invites you to visit her official website, AmySolovay.com; and, if you’re interested in earning income while spending time crafting, she encourages you to check out Crafterprise.com.

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This page was last updated on 10-19-2024.