FOBA 2026 - Kit Davey - Button Collection Book

Focus on Book Arts 2026

Kit Davey
Button Collection Book - Thursday, June 25, 2026

Read more about FOBA 2026 on their website!
https://focusonbookarts.org/2026-foba-conference/

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, participants will combine their favorite buttons with coordinating papers to make a colorful, one-of-a-kind, five-page book. We will use foam core for the pages and cut niches into them. We’ll then cover the pages with our favorite papers (which coordinate with the style and color of our buttons). Then we’ll stitch our buttons onto a backing
and install them into the niches. To protect the stitching holes we’ll use metal eyelets. Kit will teach the slip knot stitch so students can bind their pages together. Students will end up with a five-page book of buttons, preserved and displayed in a fun and unusual way.

Prerequisites (participants should know how to):
• Students should know how to thread a needle and wax thread
• Glue up paper or cloth to cover binder’s board
• Careful X-Acto knife cutting
• Students should be comfortable learning a new non-needle stitched binding

Materials/equipment to be provided by students:

• Scissors
• Pencil
• X-Acto knife and extra blades
• Metal-edged ruler
• Cutting mat
• PVA or other wet glue
• Rag
• Water container
• Glue brushes
• Sewing needle
• Thread to attach buttons to paper backing
• Tweezers
• Bonefolder
• 10 to 20 buttons (1 to 5 buttons per page)
• Awl
• 40” waxed linen thread
• 5 sheets 8½” x 11” colorful paper, 30 to 50 lbs weight, that color coordinate with your buttons