If you go to a museum and learn about the lives and times of people years ago, you’ll probably encounter all sorts of things that have, essentially, become extinct. Sure, the butter churn is cool (and I kind of like the notion of burning calories before you ingest them), but for all its past utility, its utility is clearly in the past. But there are also some items you may encounter whose use hasn’t changed much in modern times, and some of those are beads and buttons.

Invented some 700 years ago, buttons don’t exactly jump out at you as glamorous, but there’s no denying the credit the world owes them for the yeoman’s work they do when it comes to keeping my clothing fastened. Beads, which go back much further, have been used for millennia to make jewelry and other decorative items.

For me, personally, beads and buttons are two things I just don’t think about all that much — but that may be to my detriment. Fortunately, anyone who wants to learn about them can check out Bead&Button Magazine.

The publication’s Facebook page calls itself the “most original and comprehensive beading magazine you’ll find available today”, and with a 25-year track record, it’s definitely taught the world a thing or two about beading. According to its website:

Published six times a year, Bead&Button carefully selects a variety of projects that you can make and wear with pride. Bead stitching is front and center, but you’ll also find projects that incorporate wirework, kumihimo, stringing, and other jewelry-making techniques.

You can subscribe (less than $30 for a year) at this link, but also feel free to check out some of their free resources. For example, you might like the Bead Buzz blog, where you can find interesting bead/jewelry-related content like:

If you’re a great crafter or artist, and you’re up to the challenge, you can also consider submitting something to Bead&Button (details at this link). If not, at least be sure to give them a follow on Facebook (you can also find the affiliated FacetJewelry.com on Pinterest).