Are you hip to Jibbitz, the little button-like charms that pop into the holes of a pair of Crocs sandals? My Little Mochi offers a tutorial on making your own shoe charms, out of ordinary buttons. One small flat button forms the bottom, a decorative button with a shank forms the top, and sturdy thread links them both together.
Is it as easy as MLM makes it sound? Well, the picture to the right is my own work. While I was waiting for the pasta water to boil last night, I had time to dig for my button box, sort through and find a couple of sleeve buttons for the base, find the only two buttons with a shank that weren't giant overcoat buttons, and sew them together with a needle and heavyweight thread. One red kitty cat, one giant rhinestone, two little girls waving their arms in the air and shouting "Woohoo!" (no kidding). And the table was cleared of buttons and shoes before the noodles were cooked. Instant gratification.
Don't have a button box? Your local fabric store will have the hookup. Small, flat shirtsleeve buttons are dirt cheap and come on cards of four or more. I tried both two- and four-holed versions, I thought the four-holed type worked better. Novelty buttons usually come in multiples of two, in just about every shape you can think of, suitable for any age and interest. Choose a spool of thick denim or upholstery thread and an ordinary needle and you're good to go. Threading the needle is the highest level of skill required for this one.
