Girls face buttons almost every day, so they are used to not noticing this piece of clothing. However, the usual fastener was the privilege of men a hundred years ago. Today, buttons from a wide variety of materials are used everywhere.
What are buttons made of?
The most common button today is a plastic product. They are sewn onto shirts, jackets, trousers, and are used as decorative elements. However, plastic is the "youngest" material for the manufacture of fittings. It began to be used only in the 30s of the XX century.
Plastic buttons appeared in France, in Paris. The enterprising Elsa Schiaparelli and her friend Jean Clement opened the Madame Schiap shop, where they sold plastic fittings in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
Before that, the most common material for buttons was gallinite. This raw material was extracted from milk and was dried compacted casein. Further, the material was processed and became similar to agate - a semi-precious stone.
Today, this method of producing buttons is no longer remembered. However, other materials remain in high demand, especially in high fashion. Modern buttons are made of wood, metal, semi-precious stones, shells (mother of pearl), horns. Fittings made of porcelain and glass look beautiful and elegant. But such buttons are of little practical use, therefore they are mainly used for decoration.
Self-made buttons
In stores, it is not always possible to find a button of the desired color, size or shape. This becomes especially difficult if you plan to use it as a decorative element. In this case, you can make the button yourself from plastic.
Please note: the plastic product is not particularly functional. You can wear things with these buttons, but you cannot wash them. Use the created accessories to decorate clothes, handicraft toys or interior decor.
To make simple buttons, you only need three elements:
- plastic;
- toothpicks / needle;
- gloves.
Tear off a piece of material and roll it into a ball. Use the rib of your fist or your thumb (depending on the size of the ball) to flatten the part. Do not make it too thin, the width of the product should be 3-5 mm. Use a toothpick or needle to make the desired number of holes. Bake the buttons according to the instructions, if desired, treat with a special varnish or sandpaper.
Plastic gives needlewomen an unthinkable space for creativity. You can create buttons of the most unusual shapes and sizes. For example, using various stamps (pendants, other buttons, etc.), you can easily make embossed, patterned decorative elements. Additional materials will help you to make the buttons more spectacular: sequins, metal rings, shadows, etc.
