These are a G A M E changer y’all. I’ve been wanting to start teaching my little ones sewing in a super accessible way and my amazing mother-in-law told me about a time when she was knitting a sweater, didn’t have the right buttons for them, and just made her own out of wood slices! It was a revelation and I don’t think she realized just what an epic idea this would be for toddlers when she first told me about it.
These were simple to make and if you don’t have any thicker branches near you, you can easily buy wood slices online. I found a stick about 2.5″/3″ in diameter, sliced them thin and then drilled two holes. Then just sand them lightly to smooth the edges and enjoy! There are so many ways to use these little wooden buttons.
We did a simple threading practice where I essentially taught them a running stitch by going up and through one hole and then down and through the other. I have visions of making a cardboard base with holes they can line up and practice sewing the buttons onto as their skills grow. For older children you can also drill 4 holes and teach them how to sew these on in a more complex way.
These can become counting tools, loose parts for imaginative play or real buttons to use on clothing!
Spanish words to practice while you play:
Botón – (boh-tohn) – button
Madera – (mah-deh-rah) – wood
Enhebrar- (ehn-eh-brahr) – to thread
