Making and crafts

Make a button picture

Sort buttons by color or size and glue them onto card to make a simple picture.

Who might enjoy it: People who saved buttons in a tin, sewed or enjoyed sorting small objects by color. Suits someone who likes choosing and arranging, with no drawing skill needed.

Setup: About 10 minutes
Activity: 15–40 minutes
Cost: Low cost
Mess: Little mess
Where: At a table, seated-friendly
Help: Hands-on help

Materials: 5 everyday things, listed below

Start activity

What you need

A small number of large buttons, about the size of a quarter or bigger
A sheet of thick card, about letter size
White craft glue or a glue dot sheet
A pencil for a simple outline, such as a tree or a flower
A shallow tray or plate to hold the buttons

No need to buy anything special

No buttons to spare? Use large bottle caps, cut-out paper circles or felt shapes.
No card? The inside of a cereal box or a paper plate works well.

What to do

Count the buttons onto the tray before you start and note the number.
Draw a simple outline on the card together, or choose a shape you like.
Look through the buttons together and sort a few by color or size if they enjoy it.
Ask where the first button should go. Any place is the right one.
Add a dot of glue and press the button down together.
Keep adding buttons, taking turns choosing and placing.
Leave the picture flat to dry somewhere safe.
Count the loose buttons back into their container and check the number matches.

It is okay to stop or change it

It is fine to stop after one or two buttons. Count the loose ones away, leave the picture to dry, and offer to add more another day.

Make it easier or different

Make it easier: Glue only three to five buttons, or glue them for them and let the person choose each spot.
For low vision: Use bright buttons on dark card, or dark buttons on white card, so each one stands out clearly.
Less to see, hear or touch: Offer only a few buttons in one or two colors on a plain tray, so there is less to look at and choose from.
With children: A child applies the glue while the older adult picks the buttons and the spots. Keep buttons away from young children.
Without words: Hold up two buttons and watch which one they reach for or look at. Pointing and nodding are full answers.

Safety

Buttons are a choking hazard. Skip this activity if the person may put small objects in their mouth; use paper circles instead.
Use large buttons only, keep the number small, and count them in and out so none go missing.
To reduce the risk further, glue the buttons onto the card yourself first and use the activity for arranging and talking.
Stay at the table the whole time; do not leave loose buttons within reach of the person or young children.
Use a glue stick or white craft glue rather than hot glue, and check for skin sensitivity first.

These are practical suggestions, not medical advice. You know the person best.

Buttons are colorful and pleasant to handle, and arranging them needs no particular skill. Sorting, choosing and placing them can be relaxing, and many people have stories about a button tin at home.