Christmas Button Crafts: 12 Ideas Sorted by How Many Buttons You Have
Count your tin first, then choose Christmas button crafts that fit the pile: 10 buttons or fewer, about 30, 50 to 100, or a whole tin. A single red button makes the quickest choice here, a Rudolph card. For hanging decorations, start with a felt tree or a small pinned ball; save the hundreds for a substantial wreath.
Sort the tin before you start
Tip the buttons into a muffin tin and sort them by color and size; a muffin tin is the sorting tray Jackie Currie sets out before her cardboard button wreaths at Happy Hooligans. Turn each one over as you go: flat two-hole and four-hole buttons can be threaded or stitched, while shank buttons have a loop on the back and suit glue or pins. Count the extras with the main color, too. For one threaded tree, Holly Spanner at Gathered uses 10 green buttons, 3 or 4 smaller brown ones for the trunk and a star, so 14 or 15 pieces in all. Then give each project its own cup, with its thread, wire, felt or foam beside it.
Stuffed felt Christmas tree
Two small green felt triangles and a scrap of brown felt are all the backing this ornament needs, so a handful of buttons covers it. Sew the buttons onto one triangle (or hot-glue them for a no-sew version), lay a ribbon loop on the other, then sandwich a little brown trunk between the two triangles. Stitch around the edge with a running stitch about 1/8 inch [3 mm] long, add a little stuffing halfway round so the tree puffs up, and knot when you get back to the start. It is gentle sewing for a child learning to stitch. Project by Easy Peasy and Fun.
Also with this many:
- One-button Rudolph card. Glue 1 red button to white cardstock, then draw eyes and antlers above it. Pink crayon adds rosy cheeks; the tiny red nose does nearly all the decorating. Project by Amanda Davis, Crafts by Amanda.
- Padded felt flower bauble. Arrange 1 large center button with smaller buttons around it. Stitch and stuff the felt circle, add ribbon, then attach the button flower with adhesive dots. Project by Grace Tolman, Glue Dots.
A small foam ball gives a mixed handful a clear destination. Start with the tutorial's 1 1/2-inch [3.8-cm] ball and about 30 buttons, in mixed sizes. Place each button against the foam and push a pin through a hole to hold it. Turn the ball as you work until its surface is covered. Mix the colors as you go, keeping the ribbon attachment at the top. Pin a ribbon loop at the top and finish with a bow. An adult should handle the sharp pins and keep the finished decoration beyond young children's reach. Project by Melissa Haines, Kid Friendly Things To Do.
Also with this many:
- Stacked button snowman. Thread 15 to 20 white buttons onto a folded pipe cleaner, add 5 or 6 black hat buttons and a base button. About 21 to 27 pieces make the figure; ribbon becomes its scarf. Project by Super Mom Hacks.
- Photo wreath ornament. Trace a jar for a small cardboard ring, cut out the center and hot-glue mixed buttons around it, tape a photograph behind it, then attach ribbon; an adult handles the hot glue. Project by Agnes Hsu, hello, Wonderful.
Taffleberry Lane demonstrates button Christmas ornaments in this video, including a tree, snowman, angel and wreath. Watch how the creator joins the stacked pieces with wire, thread or glue, then return to the written tutorial for your chosen design's materials and button count.
Put 72 assorted buttons into a compact button wreath ornament about 2 1/2 inches [6.4 cm] across. Cut 9 inches [23 cm] of wire; the tutorial offers 22-gauge floral wire among its options. Bend a temporary loop in one end, thread on the buttons, then bring the ends together. Undo the temporary loop and twist the ends to draw the buttons into a ring. Trim and tuck the wire ends, then tie on a ribbon hanger and bow. Hide the hanger knot between adjacent buttons for a tidy finish. The tightly packed button edges give this little wreath its ridged texture. Project by Lindsay, artsy-fartsy mama.
Also with this many:
- Four stacked tree ornaments. Each tree takes 11 green buttons, 3 brown or black trunk buttons and 1 star, so a set of 4 uses 60. Thread up through the stack, come back down the other way and knot securely. Project by Michelle McKinley, Crafty Morning.
- Button-covered felt star. Cover the front of a felt star with small shirt buttons, sewing each one on, join 2 felt stars, lightly stuff and add a thread hanger. Project by Julie, Sum of their Stories.
A whole tin
Large pinned Christmas wreath
Choose this wreath when the tin holds hundreds: the creator used about 400 buttons on a 30-cm (about 12-inch) foam ring, with ribbon covering its edges. Her estimate rises to 500 or more for complete coverage. Slide a 2.5 mm bead onto each dressmaker pin before pushing it through a button hole into the foam; the bead keeps the button on the pin. Mix reds, whites, greens and golds, then pin on a hanging loop and a generous bow. The ribbon borders give the mixed buttons a neat edge around the ring. Keep the pins under adult control throughout assembly. Project by Louise, Sew Sensational.
Also with this many:
- Large canvas button tree. A 16-by-20-inch [41-by-51-cm] canvas gives a whole tin room to shine. Paint the tree silhouette, glue buttons around its outline, then fill inward with green buttons and add gold accents; adults handle hot glue. Project by Dot, Busted Button.
- Oversized fabric-backed button ball. Choose a 12-cm (4 3/4-inch) ball and cover it with 6 fabric petals, attach buttons with Odicoat and allow 24 hours for drying. Project by Odif.
Keep these button Christmas ornaments and pictures beside your sorted collection as visual inspiration for tree shapes, wreath colors, stacked figures and the small finishing details that make each piece feel festive.
Keep the craft table busy with paper Christmas stars and walnut shell Christmas decorations to mix among your finished button ornaments.
