I’ve been collection pins and buttons for years, starting with going to punk shows as a teen and over the years expanding to collecting them from travel, art shows, wherever. Forever they sat in a bowl or tin and I couldn’t really enjoy them.
So I came up with this easy DIY solution to display my collection…
I found a cheap frame at a thrift shop and bought a roll of cork board at the craft store and got to work.
To prep the frame just take out the glass (and use it in a different project if you want), and cut the cork board to fit. Put the cork in the frame and seal with backing if the frame came with some, or use a staple gun or adhesive to keep it in place.
Next you can put all your pins on and hang up on the wall! I arranged my pins by color group and thought it made an interesting visual piece, aside from the already neat patterns and drawings on the pins.
That’s actually a pretty great idea! That way the pins still function if you want to use them 🙂 I ripped the stabby parts off mine and glued magnets to them, they reside on my fridge, stove, pretty much any magnetic surface in my home…everywhere but on my clothes 🙁
I’m glad you liked it! Keeping the pinback on also let’s you re-arrange when you feel the need to switch it up.
-Katie
That’s a fantastic idea! I inherited a large button/pin collection from my dad when he passed away, and it has been sitting in a box in my closet for 7 years! Now I know how to appreciate them! Yay! Thanks!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Enjoy your collection!
Yepp, and here I sit reading “Make your own display for your BELLY BUTTON collection”. Someone please call a therapist. ^^
I don’t know why I never thought of this! For years, I just displayed my collection on my messenger bags and backpacks like any good punk kid, but now that I’m transitioning into professional/adult life, I need a good place to display my pins. YAY MORE QUIRKY ART! =D
That’s exactly why I came up with this idea! Time to display my pins and enjoy the nostalgia 🙂 Thanks for reading my post.
Would this work for the pins that come with the little claw-thing backing? I have a lot of those from my many travels, and I think this would be a great way to display them (maybe two boards, one on each side of my clothespin postcard display).
Thanks for reading my post! I assume those would work as well, if they could pin to fabric they should be able to stick to the cork as well.
It totally works with that kind! I did exactly this with my travel pin collection – it now sits above my fireplace. And I have kept all the little backing things in a ceramic pot on the mantle in case I need to re-use them.
This is what it looks like at the moment:
https://twitter.com/awesomelylee/status/279811672531689472
I have a friend who makes and sells buttons. She made a similar board to display her wares, but instead of cork, she covered a board with fabric (not gluing it down in the middle, only around the edges). That way, all the buttons can be pinned to the fabric and not fall off easily if she moves the board around.
I SO need to do this….my buttons are in little boxes all over the place and I forget how many awesome ones I have!! …like the one I wore every day during the 5 years I worked at a gas station after graduating college: “Damn straight, I’m a college grad!! Paper or plastic?”
I love it! I’ve collected these since I was a child. Here is mine, a few years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eli_makes/4680923876/ although I recently had to split up the collection as there was no room to add. Now I have one of pin back buttons, one of sparky brooches, and one of enameled tack pins.
I used canvas stretcher bars and heavy fabric. I used to have one made of cork but it didn’t hold up so well with repeated button applications and removals 🙂