I have a confession to make.
I have a rather large collection of buttons.
Now, that probably won't surprise anyone who knows me or has followed Buttons by Brooke for any length of time. But I'm not talking about the buttons I've already turned into hair ties, bookmarks, earrings or other handmade creations.
I'm talking about the buttons I've made for projects that never quite happened.
The ideas that seemed wonderful at the time, until I started thinking about how much they'd actually cost to make, how long they'd take, and whether anybody would be prepared to pay what they were worth.
Back in September 2022, I arranged a collection of fabric-covered buttons into the shape of a heart. They weren't glued into place. I was experimenting with an idea and seeing how it might look
They were beautiful little buttons, covered in colourful fabrics with hearts in all sorts of colours and patterns. I'd been collecting inspiration, as I often do, and thought they might make a lovely piece of artwork.
I photographed the arrangement and used it in a social media post.
But the idea never became a product.
By the time I'd considered the materials, the time involved in covering every individual button, arranging them, attaching them and presenting the finished piece, I couldn't see how I could price it at a point that would make sense for both me and a customer.
So the idea was put aside.
And the buttons stayed.
That's something I've discovered about handmade businesses. Just because you can make something doesn't necessarily mean you can sell it at a price that reflects the work involved.
Over the years, I've had some interesting comments at markets.
Some people tell me my creations are old-fashioned. Others tell me I've obviously been very busy. Occasionally, someone will tell me something is too expensive.
And every now and then, someone will stop, take a closer look and appreciate the work involved in creating something by hand.
Often, it's someone who remembers making things themselves or understands the time and patience involved.
Those conversations have always stayed with me.
Because I've never really wanted to make the same things as everybody else.
If you've ever wandered through a handmade market, you'll know there are some products that appear on stall after stall.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There's clearly a market for them.
But I've never felt the need to sew a scrunchie just because everyone else is selling scrunchies!
I enjoy making things that are a little different.
Sometimes they're practical. Sometimes they're sentimental. And sometimes they're just a little bit quirky.
I've always been drawn to those small gifts that make you stop and think of someone.
A little keepsake that reminds somebody they're loved. A funny stocking filler that makes someone laugh. Something you discover at a market while travelling and take home because you know exactly who would appreciate it.
Not necessarily expensive or elaborate.
Just thoughtful.
And that's where those forgotten buttons have finally found a new purpose.
During Liptember, I introduced my Circle Boxes, which were created around the idea of connection, kindness and reminding people that they don't have to face everything alone.
As part of those boxes, I created My Circle Button and My Little Circle Button.
Now I'm also preparing them as individual handmade keepsakes, each presented on a little card with a message of encouragement.
Something you can hold, keep nearby or give to someone who might need a little reminder that they matter.
They won't solve anybody's problems, and they're certainly not intended to.
But sometimes a small gesture can mean more than we realise.
And those buttons I made years ago, the ones that never became the heart-shaped artwork I'd imagined?
Some of them are now becoming Circle Buttons.
Instead of sitting in a container waiting for an idea that might never happen, they're being given another opportunity to become something meaningful.
I've been busy preparing them for my return to markets, and I now have 11 My Circle Buttons and 11 My Little Circle Buttons glued, packaged and ready to go.
Twenty-two little reminders, each one made by hand.
And yes, I'm returning to markets!
I've been accepted for a stall at my nephew's school fete, which will be my first market in quite some time.
I'm excited.
I'm also nervous.
Markets can be unpredictable. You can spend hours making, packaging, pricing and preparing, only to discover that what you've brought along isn't quite what people are looking for that day.
There's the cost of the stall, the time involved, the travel and the uncertainty of whether you'll sell enough to make it worthwhile.
But there's another side to markets that I've missed.
The conversations.
The other makers.
The people who stop to look, ask questions and share their own stories.
And those wonderful moments when someone picks something up, smiles and says, "Oh, I know exactly who I'd give this to!"
That's the part I love.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want Buttons by Brooke to become.
For years, I've made all sorts of different products, and I still enjoy the process of creating them.
But I'm beginning to realise that perhaps I don't need to be known for making a particular type of product.
Perhaps I simply want to be known for making little things that mean something.
Thoughtful gifts. Unusual keepsakes. A little bit of humour.
Something that isn't necessarily sitting on every other market stall.
I don't need to be clever. I just want to be thoughtful and offer something different.
And maybe that's what these Circle Buttons represent.
Not a completely new beginning, but a little more clarity about what I've enjoyed creating all along.
I don't know whether they'll be popular at the fete.
I don't know whether the people who stop at my stall will understand the meaning behind them, or whether they'll simply see another handmade button.
But I'm looking forward to finding out.
And I'm looking forward to being part of a handmade market again.
As for that original heart of buttons?
I'm rather glad I never glued it together.
Because four years later, those very same buttons are finding their way into something I hadn't even imagined when I first made them.
Sometimes an idea doesn't work out the way you planned.
Sometimes it sits on a shelf for years.
And sometimes, when you least expect it, you discover that it wasn't a wasted idea at all.
It was simply waiting for a more meaningful purpose.
Be real, not perfect. Be Kind. Be Brave. Be Yourself.
