Sunday, September 11, 2011

making: vintage paper buttons!

  

i have added a few new products to my line up in the last few weeks! first up: 1" pinback buttons made using recycled paper from thrifted vintage children's books. each button is handpressed and one-of-a-kind. 

this project began as a wisp of an idea some time back - i acquired nine golden book illustrated encyclopedias from 1959 a few years ago at a thrift store on main street. the information was spotty, but the mid-century illustrations were delightful, and i couldn't resist. it wasn't until this summer when i realized that 1" buttons were the perfect use for these treasures. once i started cutting, it was addictive! i began scouring thrift stores up and down the pacific northwest coast for additional books and have since found some great ones - cub scout manuals, music books, kids craft tomes. each book is specially selected for just the right style of earnest yet tongue-in-cheek appeal.


i'm packaging the buttons in 3 packs, on say-it-yourself text bubble cards and as pick 'n mix singles. they've been a resounding success at the last three craft shows! i've named the button line "awesometown" - a family in-joke about a vintage playschool sesame street toy as well as a throw-back to that mid-century flavour of moderated perfection, a la pleasantville.

 
 

we sometimes take the press on the road - on a particularly productive night we pressed buttons while eating late-night breakfast at lucy's eastside diner (excellent eggs benny with bacon & avacado!). it's quite the crowd-pleaser. we did a quick diy freebie button tutorial for our server and several other guests, and the table next to us purchased several fresh-off-the-press. 

2 comments:

Mom said...

Looks like it would be fun to look through those vintage books for button possibilities! You must have lots of selected ones waiting to be pressed...good idea doing it on-site at the craft shows!

Kim of Milkybeer Handmade said...

Love these!

 

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