This paperweight would make the perfect gift for a seamstress or someone who collects antique sewing notions. It's made with an old sewing card that still has it's pearlized buttons attached. The artwork on the card features two peacocks with their outstretched feathers fashioned into a border.
The buttons are sewn onto the card with a small sheet of foil behind them. This has a mirror effect that adds a lot to this piece. I added a needle and thread to the design to give it a little more interest.
The first step in creating this paperweight was to make a background to build the design on. I chose a sheet of greenish-blue paper from a scrapbooking pad. (The color was a close match to a color in the peacock feathers.) The paper was placed on the pre-cut, self-adhesive mounting board included with the paperweight kit. (PhotoWeights: Large Rectangle)
I used double-stick tape on the back of the button card because I wanted the card to lay as flat as possible on the background. Be sure to use permanent tape, as removable tape is likely to lift.
As you can see, the buttons are sewn into the card. Sometimes you'll find the thread used to do this is somewhat delicate, especially on older pieces. If this is the case, re-stringing the buttons with new thread is an option. If the thread is still in fair condition, you can also apply just enough glue to the thread on the back of the card to keep it secure.
After you place the button card on the background, gently press down on all areas of the card to ensure a tight bond with the double-stick tape.
Here's a tip. Before I applied the tape-backed button card to the background, I drew a faint line with pencil as a guide to help me center the card.
I wanted to add a little something to the design to give it more interest. I thought a needle and thread would be the perfect element to tie everything together. After I threaded the needle, the needle was glued to the button card with clear adhesive.
The thread was laid across the buttons. In order to keep it in place, I used a small amount of clear glue on the middle button, second row from the bottom. The end of the thread was tucked underneath the mounting board and held in place with tape.
Here is a close-up view of the finished paperweight.
Button cards are just one of the many things you can find at flea markets and antique shops for your paperweight projects. Dollar bins are a great place to look!
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