Celia Barbieri, Asheville’s “button florist,” upcycles buttons (and plenty more) into art and fashion accessories.

by Joanne O’Sullivan . photos by Matt Rose

It’s not unusual to find a crafter or seamstress with a stash of buttons squirreled away for just the right project. Buttons lend themselves naturally to collections. They’re accessible, affordable and varied, and one always has the sense that they could be so much more than just a way to keep clothes on. But Asheville’s self-described “button florist,” Celia Barbieri, found a way to unlock the hidden potential of her button collection. She makes buttons into flower heads, finished off with wire stems and assembled into button bouquets.

A Warren Wilson graduate, Barbieri started making button flowers in high school, giving them away as gifts. By the time she finished college, friends were encouraging her to sell them, and two years ago, she finally turned her artistry into a real business. Barbieri’s button stems and bouquets can be found locally at the Gallery of the Mountains at the Grove Park Inn and the Kress Emporium. In addition to using buttons she’s collected or been given, Barbieri makes her own buttons out of clay, imprinting the wet surface with texture from another button.

Her bouquets are serious 3-D button art. But Barbieri is not opposed to using other found material to make other types of creations. She was drawn to the button hair clips she saw at craft fairs or on sites such as etsy.com. To make her own, she used buttons, of course, along with leaves made from cut-up pieces of old sweaters.

Making dangling button earrings is similarly straightforward. The tough (and fun) part is choosing the color, texture and arrangement of the buttons. The rest is done with wire, securing each button in place then closing the strand off with a big loop.

Barbieri’s clips, earrings and brooches may soon be finding their way into local boutiques. In the meantime, if you need a button fashion fix, she welcomes visitors to stop by her studio at the Phil Mechanic Building in the River Arts District to watch her in action or make a custom order. She may even give you some tips so you can try your hand at button artistry yourself.

To see more of Celia Barbieri’s work, call 910-840-3182 or check out www.thebuttonflorist.com.