Mother's Day and Button Bouquet instructions...

I'm not much on sappiness or mushy stuff. However, I want to say thanks to all the "Moms" in my life. First, there is my Mom. She's always been there for me and had my best interest at heart. She's become my best friend over the years. Second, my mother-in-law couldn't be a more loving, generous, and caring person. I love her for the son she raised and is now my husband. I love her for the example she is to so many. I know my kids will have two grandmothers like the grandmother I had! Thirdly, there's my Mom's mom. She passed away almost 13 years ago. I think of her often and miss her daily. She still has a great impact on my life and will even have one on my children's life through the memories she left behind. Lastly, there are all the ladies at church whom I have come to love as if they were my grandmother. There are too many to name, but I gave them each a hug yesterday and told them how much I cared about them!

So, to all you moms out there, thanks. Everyday should be Mother's Day if you ask me!



Here is a picture of the presents I made for Susan and Mom. They are button bouquets. It is suppose to mimic a flower bouquet but never die. I thought it was too cute, and I had a BLAST making them. I even kept the secret and suprised them both!!

Supplies: Jar, Buttons, Shears, Plyers (optional), Floral Wire - 18 or 20 gauge

Helpful Hints: Jar about 3 - 6 inches tall with a small opening for best results otherwise the buttons spread out to much and fall over, about 30 buttons in your favorite colors and various sizes so you can stack the buttons, plyers for bending, shears for cutting (I just used shearsno plyers, but you have to be careful how hard you press the shears while bending the wire), floral wire (18 gauge, 20 gauge, or 22 gauge- the bigger the button the lower the gauge. I know it's backwards, but it wasn't me who designed the gauging system. If you are in doubt, I recommend 20 or 22 gauge.) I used 18 gauge and should have used 20 gauge. It was so hard to bend because it was too thick.

How to assemble it: Cut your wire to the desired length (depending on how tall you want your flowers to be, leave about 2 inches for the buttons and wire bending. Example: If you want your flower 4 inches tall, cut it 6 inches. It will be about 4 inches after you put the buttons on it and bend the wire. Then, bend the wire in an "S" shape about 3 inches from one of the ends, place your buttons on the "S" shape, and wrap or twist the remaining end to secure the button on the wire! Make as many "flowers" as you want and put them in your vase. It's suppose to be random and fun. Don't get too caught up in making it perfect!

It took me about 30 minutes to make it once I got the hang of it! Leave any questions on my comment wall as to how to make them. I will get back to you as soon as possible!!