Stocking My Etsy Shop

I've been on a button making binge and have been adding to my Etsy button shop inventory.  It has taken me a while to figure out how to make fabric and fiber buttons in a way that is unique to me.  The technique that is working well is to learn about traditional button making techniques and then render those techniques with materials from my set of resources. There are a number of well established button makers on Etsy who do a good job of making cover buttons and sliced branch wooden buttons.  I need to find my distinct style to compete with them.  Happily my efforts seems to be working.  I am slowly beginning to get sales.  But there is much more to do.  I read that when shops have about 100 items in inventory sales increase.  I'm about halfway to that point.  Nor have I done any marketing with social media.  I'm waiting to do that until I have the enlarged inventory and an updated shop banner. It's a good thing that I have several years to build the shop before I retire.

The following three photos are examples of buttons made on plastic rings.  The traditional buttons were made in white on sheep's horn rings. I'm using up stuff that I inherited from my sister.  I really enjoy playing with the color.  As I get more experience I have a larger set of techniques to use and my craftsmanship is improving.  Best of all, I'm having fun.

Felt centers with a satin cording stitched onto a ring.

A fancy fiber button stitched onto large & small rings, stitched together & finished with a bead center.

These have the same 2 ring technique as those above with the addition of a knotted center.

This type of button was traditionally finished with a thread shank or no shank at all.  I'm using a cloth covered commercially made shank back.  It just feels like better craftsmanship to have a sturdy back.

This weekend I made my first wooden buttons.  They are made from a trim sample that was probably manufactured in the 1980's.  The trims are well made from an assortment of hard woods.  To make these buttons I laid out cut lines and the hole spacing.  I drilled the holes first with a drill press and then cut the buttons apart with a power miter box.  I realized that making wood buttons is hard because it means working with power tools on small pieces of wood.  I'm looking forward to making more wood buttons.

Toggle buttons about 1/4"x 1/2"x 1 1/2".