Double-sided Vintage Mother-of-Pearl Button Hanging Heart

Among other things, my grandmother left me her button box. In amongst all the 'usual suspects' was a card of beautiful, old, handmade mother-of pearl buttons. I tried to think of a fitting use for them that would also be a tribute to my grandmother's memory.....the button heart!

I decided to make the heart doublesided so that it would look good from whatever angle it could be seen from, it also had the added benefit of making it a bit more robust.

Take a length of craft or beading wire and attach your first button, leaving a short length for tying off at the end once all the buttons are threaded on.

Next, thread the wire through first one hole (from the wrong side over the front of the button) then the other, turn your second button wrong side to wrong side with your first button with the second hole of the first button lined up with the first hole of the second button and pass the wire though the holes.

Thread the wire through the second button's second hole then put your third button wrong side to wrong side with the second button lining up the holes as before. Continue in this way until you have threaded enough buttons together to bend the wires into a heart shape (I used 18 buttons for the front and 18 buttons for the back).

Once you have formed your heart shape, twist the wires together neatly and snip off any ends. Attach a pretty ribbon for hanging the heart.

I have since made several more hearts, all using different coloured wire and buttons. They make beautiful Christmas tree decorations too!

Going for Gold - Crochet Olympic Medals and Free Tutorial

What a day for British sport! First, a gold and bronze in the rowing, then a gold and bronze in the men's cycling time trials, then a silver in the men's 200m breaststroke! A day like this really makes us proud to be British! Inspired by our country's success, we created our very own Olympic gold, silver and bronze crochet medals so that we can join in the celebrations too, and we've even written a tutorial - aren't we good to you?

If you would like to make your own crochet medal you will need:

-3mm Crochet Hook
-Medium weight DK yarn in yellow, grey and light brown
-Red ribbon
-Black embroidery thread
-Red thread
-Pins
-Tapestry needle
-Embroidery needle

Crochet Stitches

-ch
-htr
-ss

How to make a Crochet Olympic Medal


To start, ch4 then join together with a ss to form a ring. Ch2, then stitch 10htr into the ring. Ss into the second chain of your first ch2 to form a ring. This should leave you with 11 stitches.

Ch2, then work 1htr into the first stitch, then 2htr into each of the next 10 stitches. Ss into the second chain of your first ch2 to form a ring. This should leave you with 22 stitches.

Ch2, then work 1htr into the first stitch, *1htr into the next stitch then 2htr into the next stitch*. Repeat from * to *, finishing on 1htr. Ss into the second chain of your first ch2 to form a ring.

Ch2, then work 1htr into the first stitch, *1htr into the next stitch, 1htr into the next stitch then 2htr into the next stitch*. Repeat from * to * ending on 1htr. Ss into the second chain of your first ch2 to join.

Ch2, then work 1htr into the first stitch, *1htr into the next stitch, 1htr into the next stitch, 1htr into the next stitch then 2htr into the next stitch*. Repeat from * to * ending on 1htr. Ss into the second chain of your first ch2 to join. To finish, cut yarn and pull through loop on hook to finish. Tie in ends with a tapestry needle.

Repeat instructions for all three medal colours.

To attach the ribbon, fold in half, pin onto the reverse of the medal and stitch with red thread and an embroidery needle. Embroider the numbers onto the medals with thick black embroidery thread.


We hope you like this tutorial and have fun creating medals to support the athletes or have
your very own Olympic games!