If you live in the States, then you may have noticed that it’s an election year. There’s an awful lot of anger and ugliness associated with it, so here’s my attempt to diffuse the bitter divide with a bi-partisan upcycling project. Washington may not be able to cross the aisle, but Sadie can!
I have to thank my good friend, Kate DiNatale Vintage, for inspiring this project. Many, many moons ago, she gifted me with some vintage vote ribbon/straps. She didn’t have a good use for them, but figured I could probably come up with something. This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
The straps that started it all…
Since I hadn’t made a new summertime or July 4th wreath for a couple of years, I let the vintage Vote ribbons be my muse. I had an idea in my head, but I needed some vintage political /campaign buttons. On a whim, I asked my mom if she had any. And boy oh boy, did she ever…she had a slew of them that had been her uncle’s. Not all of them were political, but most of them were patriotic- even better!
Pieces of patriotic flair!
To bring my idea to life, I needed a round wreath form and some plain material to wrap it in- which I already had, courtesy of the remnants bin. Pale off-white jute/burlap would be perfect!
A nice, plain background for my pinback buttons.
I cut the burlap in long narrow (3”) strips, which I ironed and then wrapped around my wreath form. I then secured the ends with my hot glue gun.
Ready for some flair!
Now it was time to pull it all together! I gathered my Vote ribbon straps, my great-uncle’s campaign button collection, and a few odds and ends I had picked up from Etsy and Maliasmark.
The rest of my flair pieces…let’s make a wreath!
Decorating the wreath form was easy- I used the pin back buttons like polka-dots and pushed them into the burlap (and sometimes the wreath itself) here and there. That’s the great thing about pins- no glue needed!
Like little red, white, and blue polka dots.
I left an empty space off to the bottom left for the Vote ribbon straps. I didn’t want to cut or glue them either, so I played around with them and created a bow of sorts. I folded them, layered them on top of each other, and used a few hidden stitches with a needle and thread to secure them in place. The end result was fun and flashy, like a prize ribbon from a horse show!
How’s that for a wreath bow?
With a few more hidden stitches, I was able to secure it to my wreath form (I ended up moving a few buttons around to give it more room!).
All done and ready for my red door!
Now it was ready to hang on my front door…perfect patriotic décor that celebrates the politics of the past, from both major parties. To hang it, I gathered a loop of red, white, and blue grosgrain ribbon, which I knotted and fixed to the back of my wreath with a safety pin.
Ta-da!
A little close-up…
I often see vintage political bits for sale…but rarely repurposed! But I do love how it turned out…and it reminds me that love of country is so much greater than political hatred. With this project, you can make a political statement without any politics at all!
Happy Independence Day…and Craft on!
S
…To keep this post fun for everyone, I ask that you refrain from political commentary in your comments. I absolutely LOVE to hear your thoughts on my projects, but in the spirit of kindness and inclusion, any modern-day, politically-charged comments will be removed. Thank you for your understanding!
PIN ME!
The post Rock the Vintage Vote- Political Pinback Button Wreath appeared first on Sadie Seasongoods.