Many of my friends knit or sew (or both), so this year I made up some button gift cards to add to presents. I’ll also slip them into Christmas cards for crafty friends that I don’t exchange gifts with.
I made both Merry Christmas and Merry Knitmas versions as well as a bunch of grapes for the knitting agnostics, atheists and wine drinkers. If you’d like to make some too, scroll down for instructions and a downloadable template.
Instructions
At the bottom of this page is a download button. Download and print the templates onto card, using a high quality setting on your printer. I used a mid-weight card in a buff colour because that’s what I had on hand. Any card that your printer can handle will be fine.
Cut out the cards using the guidelines printed on the templates.
Place the card, printed side up, on a blocking mat. If you don’t have one, you can use a folded cloth or tea towel. Avoid using a fluffy towel – you need a fairly firm surface to work on or the cards will bend and crease.
Select the buttons you want to use and arrange them on the card.
Pin the buttons to the card and blocking mat in the position you want them on the finished gift card. If you are using a mix of odd buttons, take a photo of the card with the buttons arranged on it. Doing this before you take the pins out helps you remember the precise arrangement while you sew.
Remove all the pins and sew the buttons to the card, stitching through the pin holes. Don’t pull the thread too tight or you could tear the card.
To finish them off you can punch a hole in one corner for a ribbon and tie them to presents.
You could also cut out pieces of Christmas paper to cover the back of the card and glue these on to cover the stitches. The glue wont affect the buttons and they can be snipped off the card for use when needed.
Even if you keep them for yourself, they are a very cute way to organise your buttons that aren’t already on cards. I know I have about a million vintage buttons in my collection that would look great organised this way.
