I admit. I am a button-o-holic. Do you have a large stash laying around, or are just looking for a fast, fun, and attractive decoration/gift? I created this Button Tree in under an hour. I happened to choose pink because I had a LOT of this color, and i like to use it in my Christmas decorating in small bits to break up the red explosion. It could, however, be easily adapted in a myriad of ways, in colors appropriate for several different holidays or occassions. Vary the shape of the styrafoam core, and create a new look alltogether, even!

SUPPLIES:

___Foofala Bag-O-Buttons (These work best, as they are varied in size and shape which allows for more texture and layering!)
___about 200 straight pins (From the sewing department...the pretty jewel toned round heads)
___around 50 corsage pins (The variety you get from these pearlescent pear-shaped heads looks very pretty in contrast with the others!)
___9" styrafoam cone (Feel free to go larger or smaller, or even to try a completely different shape!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Begin with the largest buttons. Pin them to the cone shape in a randomly spaced fashion all over the surface. Pins should be inserted at a perpendicular angle to the cone surface.
2. Next, start adding the medium sized buttons to the shape. Logistically, it will work best if you have the added button be touching an already pinned button in some way. You will end up with less gaps to fill this way.
3. Now move to the smallest buttons, and use them to fill in any spaces or gaps that have developed. Feel free to double stack buttons, too, for variety and dimension. If you overlap any buttons, be sure to make the overlay happen nearer the bottom of the cone, in a "shingles" type fashion to keep the tree-like appearance.
4. To finish the top, insert corsage pins vertically into the backs of buttons with a "shank" behind them (rather than 2-4 holes through center). These are the buttons that have a solid top with a hidden, sideways hole. Ring these buttons around the top of the tree, pushing the corsage pins straight down into the cone top (perpendicular to the ground) in a "circling the wagons" fashion. If you still have any gaps, keep filling with small buttons until the desired result is achieved.