DIY Vintage Button Bracelet

This is my first blog post in over a year! One of my New Year's Resolutions was to try to post a few fun projects during 2012--so here goes!
A few weeks ago I fell in love with an idea I saw on Pinterest--making a button bracelet.
Well, you see, I have a HUGE vintage button collection, so what better way to display some of them--right?
Here's my first attempt a made not long ago which incorporates turquoise rhinestone buttons that came from an estate sale--I remember purchasing the 2pc suit just for the buttons. The rest of the bracelet was fashioned using crystal faceted beads from a necklace which I rarely wore.



OK--Let's back up a few years ago. Below is a stretch bracelet I made from vintage buttons. Many of which came from the estate sale of Bea Haney, a local business woman who had an exclusive upscale dress shop here in Abilene during the late 1950's to 1970's, maybe even longer. I could never afford to shop there, but I grabbed up buttons from her estate sale!



I really was a little afraid to wear that bracelet for fear that it might break and I might lose many of the precious buttons. Today, I finally decided to take it apart and redesign a new vintage button bracelet.

Step 1
I started with this gold tone John Wind charm bracelet. I have fallen in love with his designs! I purchased my first John Wind trinket in Lubbock, TX at Hollyhocks early last Fall. I was super thrilled when I found this gold-tone bracelet online at Carol and Company!




Step 2
I chose several buttons with shanks, along with those from the "Bea Haney Bracelet" and auditioned them for placement on the bracelet.



Step 3
Using lots gold-tone split rings I connected each button to the bracelet, making sure to close each loop securely. It really took very little time, once I had picked out the buttons I wanted to incorporate. Here is the finished result:





I think I'll make another one during the Super Bowl this evening!
Enjoy!