Tagua Nut Buttons for Craft and Sewing Projects
Also Known as Vegetable Ivory, a Natural Material for Green Crafts
With an increased awareness of ecological issues and a trend towards greener living, many sewers and needlecrafters are looking for alternative materials to use in their crafts.
Buttons which are made from the tagua nut are also referred to as vegetable ivory or corozo and are becoming increasingly popular. Vegetable ivory has many of the qualities of ivory derived from elephant tusks. When dried, the tagua nut produces a hard material which can be sliced, drilled and carved into buttons and other adornments.
Vintage Tagua Nut Buttons
Buttons made from nuts, however, are not a new initiative, and at the start of the 20th century, one in every 5 buttons sold in the US was made from the tagua nut. The buttons only started to lose popularity when cheap and mass produced plastic and celluloid buttons started to become readily available. Old, vintage vegetable ivory buttons are extremely collectible, and can be found at specialist antique stores, and on the internet. If you are really lucky antique vegetable ivory buttons might turn up on old clothes found in estate sales etc.
Environmentally Friendly
Over recent years, with our increased focus and awareness of environmental issues, buttons made from the tagua nut are becoming popular again. The nuts, when dried, closely resemble ivory which is normally obtained from elephant’s tusk. The nuts can be carved, polished and dyed to produce wonderful, unusual buttons which will compliment a range of hand sewn garments and accessories. In addition to the aesthetic qualities, the buttons also come from a totally renewable resource. The tagua palm continues to produce nuts year after year, a mature tree producing about 50 pounds of nuts a year – similar to the amount of ivory derived from an elephant tusk. A key difference being no elephants die in the process!
Using tagua nuts for buttons and other adornments also brings important trade into countries such as Ecuador. The tagua nut, which grows in the rain forest, is a sustainable natural resource. This means that the valuable rain forest is not harmed in the cultivation and harvesting of this material. It allows the people who inhabit the rain forest to engage in profitable trade without destroying their lands.
Other Options
Buttons from other natural, sustainable sources are also available. These include coconuts, wood and other nuts. The buttons from these sources are available either plain or dyed, and can be elaborately carved, or left simply plain. There are a wide range available which will work well with any sewing and needlework project.
Where to Buy
Tagua nut buttons can be bought from many stores, and are becoming increasingly widely available. Specialist organic stores offer a good selection. Near Sea Naturals offer a range of buttons from natural and recycled sources.
Take a look around the Sewing and Needlework site at Suite101 for more interesting reading.
Tagua Buttons
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