Buttons have been around for a very long time - the first origins of buttons were around 3000 years ago during the Bronze Age. However the buttons were used simply for adornment; but we all have the right idea in using buttons as a decoration. Buttons are a great simple and basic way to make our cards and pages visually stand out with dimension shape and color.

Buttons come in so many different colors and shapes and are most often part of a collection by many manufacturers; Crate Paper, Basic Grey, and Bobunny Press to name a few. Use buttons for any themed layout or card just like Annette did with her adorable “ghost” button. Her Halloween theme could have easily been a winter theme if she used blue and white buttons on her tree and a snowflake shaped button. In Connie’s patriot card she incorporated color and gave an illusion of shaped buttons to create her card. She took plain white buttons to make the “stars” in her flag card.

If you want to use color as your main focus for a layout or card, then buttons are an easy and vivid way to go and will give your project a colorful and textural interest. Take a look at Dora’s card below and how she used color to make her statement. Her card has a simple design but she made it so much more exciting by adding the colors of fall with her buttons or “leaves” to her tree.

Ever Grateful by Connie Mercer

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Paper: Scenic Route, Paint: Claudine Hellmuth, Acrylic Paint, Adhesive: Helmar Acrylic Sealer, Pin: Jenni Bowlin Studio,  Stamp: Stampin' Up! Other: twine, felt heart, vintage music paper.

Editor's Note: Look at how Connie turned a musical paper into the perfect patriotic one with just a few swipes of paint.  What a great way to make a scrap special!

Halloween Button Tree by Annette Witherspoon

Supplies: Paper: Die Cuts With A View Glitter Stack, Stampin' Up! Ink: Versamark (Tsukineko), Stamp: Unity Stamp Company, Buttons: Dress It Up, Other: alphabet sticker. Tools: Electronic Die Cut Machine: Silhouette America.

Design Notes: Button trees are nothing new, but this one has a bit of a twist. The buttons are not the typical spring or deep fall colors. This tree sports vivid Halloween colors, like bright orange, purple, black and neon green for a spooky effect. Even the ghost is a button!! Tip: Feel free to also mix up they finishes and sizes of the buttons to give your creation more texture and visual interest.

Hello Fall by Dora Phillips

Supplies:  Paper, Die Cut: Bella Blvd, Buttons:  BasicGrey, Ribbon:Theresa Collins, Ink: Stampin' Up!, Other: stitching.  Tools: Punch: Fiskars.

Design Notes:  To create my tree, I punched a scalloped circle first and then filled it with buttons before using a dimensional adhesive to lift it off of the page.