Clothing decoration has been known since ancient times and is one of the main points of creation of national garments of all peoples of the world. Buttons, as a necessary attribute of products, were used both functionally and as a decoration. Decorating clothes with buttons is very diverse and original. Now it does not bear such a semantic load, as before, but it is applied widely enough.
A bit of history of Decorating clothes with buttons
The fashion for button decorations appears in periods and is associated with the emergence of various fashion trends. For example, in the 80s, when there were rockers, punks and metal lists, decorations in the form of rivets and metal buttons were very popular. Such fittings decorated almost everything, from shoes to hats.
And in the 19th century in England, there was an interesting practice of wearing clothes, richly decorated with mother-of-pearl buttons. This happened thanks to the janitor Henry Croft, who collected money for charity. In those days, street vendors in London wore fashionable pants with mother-of-pearl buttons sewn along the seams. Croft, in order to attract public attention, decided to create a “pearl suit”, embroidering the pants and jacket with patterns of mother-of-pearl buttons. In 1911 a pearl charity was founded in North London.
Decorating with buttons in the modern world
Nowadays, button embellishment is not a tribute to fashion, but is used solely for the purpose of decorating and giving the product an original look. Such changes make the thing more interesting, more creative and, of course, draw extra attention to it.
Button decor, as well as embroidery or appliquéing, give things a certain touch of handmade, because it is clear to everyone that such things are made mostly by hand. Due to the huge variety of buttons, everyone can come up with your own unique composition and decorate practically anything of your closet with it.
How to experiment creatively with buttons on your clothes
We offer you some options that you can adopt and use in your creative experiments. Let’s start with T-shirts, tops, vests, t-shirts and tunics. When choosing a composition, you can start with the details that are already on the product. Perhaps it will be a placket or basque, which can be perfectly decorated with beautiful flat buttons.
If the product has no elements, and it is pure field for creativity, you can lay out of the buttons a variety of patterns and designs: bow, tree, flowers, heart, butterfly and even an eye.
And you can create an imitation of such an element from the buttons. For example, lay out a collar. In my opinion, a very interesting and original idea. A simple and ordinary T-shirt is completely transformed.
Buttons fit perfectly and in floral compositions, playing the role of the middle of a flower, which can be done in the technique of yo – yo. Any craftswoman can cope with such flowers, and it looks very cheerful and bright.
If you do not want to rack your brains over the patterns, you can simply sew on similar buttons randomly throughout the whole piece. Not everyone knows how to embroider, but almost everyone can sew on a button. If you choose flat pearl buttons, the product will look as if it were scales. Unusual and dressy.
For dresses, too, you can come up with interesting button decorations, such as decorating necklines, slats or tops. If the dress has a belt, then it can also become an object of decoration.
Skirts are no exception. With them, too, come up with original decorations using buttons. They are placed chaotically or in strict order. It all depends on the model and the idea.
Removable collars, which became fashionable a few seasons ago, are successfully subjected to the button decoration. Here you can unleash creativity and sew on the collar a variety of beautiful buttons, which you have in stock. Such an accessory will be a highlight of your image and will decorate the most simple outfit.
And if you are bored with your monochrome vest, you’ll create an exclusive thing by embroidering its lapels with shiny buttons. Similar decor can be done on the flaps of the pockets, if they are available.
Here are such simple ways everyone can decorate their things. Such a decoration, of course, is for your fans, but if you like unusual products, decorated by hand, then you have a good chance to be the creator of your own closet.
I hope that you will find these ideas useful, and maybe you will use them to decorate your own or your children’s things. On children’s items, such button fancies look especially interesting and fun.