Bodhi Farms Buttons for clothes, crafts and button jewelry
How we started making buttons on the farm
I have always enjoyed crafting in one form or another – knitting, sewing, making baskets etc. Five years ago during the Christmas holidays I decided I wanted to make these neck warmers to sell at the market. I saw a style on Pinterest that caught my eye. I loved the pattern because it included big beautiful buttons. The neck warmer pattern had three styles based on the arrangement of the buttons. So it was essential that I have big beautiful buttons. When shopping for buttons, I soon realized it was not an easy task finding quality wooden buttons in any of the local craft or sewing shops. So I set out to make my own buttons for my neck warmers. I watched Youtube video tutorials on making buttons from branches from your front yard.
Since then I’ve perfected my craft in order to bring this product to you so you have quality buttons for your next project.
People use my buttons in various ways. The most common way is to simply replace the plastic buttons on their favorite sweater or coat. Customers put my buttons on their hats, hand warmers, and scarfs. Crafters will use these buttons in their crafting projects on purses, baskets and other such projects. I was recently told by a customer that she wanted big thick buttons to sew on her blanket coats she was making.
I have branched out, no pun intended, to make button jewelry to feed my creative side.
The Process
The wood is gathered on the hillsides of Bodhi Farms, in Las Vegas, New Mexico and crafted by the farmers. No trees are harmed in the process. Branches are gathered from prunings of fruit, oak and juniper trees.
I choose to use thin branches from my trees to cut into buttons in order to maintain the natural shape and the heartwood center. Industrial buttons are machined from boards and have no heart wood and processed for uniformity.
Each button is handcrafted. After the branches have cured for a number of months, the bark is stripped, and the branch cut into slices. And then the sanding begins with several passes to 220 fine grit. After sanding the buttons until very smooth, I add the stain and varnish to reveal the heartwood.
Each button is one of a kind piece created by nature. As my husband says, “You never know what the branch will reveal until you cut into it because each branch forms in unique ways”. The natural branch shape and rings inspire my designs for my buttons and button jewelry. For example the natural shape of the branch, such as teardrop, heart shape or oval shape will guide me in designing the earrings. I draw my inspiration for my jewelry from nature herself.
Natural wood from the farm.
- Oak
- Juniper
- Fruit – apple, plum
