Betty Buttons (Retired)

Another installment in the line of Community Designed Projects is BETTY BUTTONS! Named by OHMily, designed by OHMily, made for OHM for OHMily. OHM + FAMILY = LOVE

The theme was vintage toys, and what is more vintage than the rag doll, as it is one of the oldest children’s toys in history, dating back to ancient Rome. Traditionally, a rag doll is made by hand from cloth, stuffed with scraps of leftover sewing materials. The dolls can have soft, simple bodies, yarn for hair, button eyes, and are often dressed in patchwork clothing. Ragdolls were used to teach children how to sew, and the dolls became much-beloved comfort objects to cuddle.

The popularity of these dolls began to grow around 1830, when fabric color printing was first developed. Around 1918, a doll named Raggedy Ann became the first tie-in merchandise with a book called “Raggedy Ann Stories,” written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle, marketed along with the actual doll. Raggedy Ann became so popular that her brother, Raggedy Andy, was introduced in 1920.

We at OHM are proud to introduce our own popular little rag doll bead named Betty Buttons, created from a series of submissions by you, our OHMies. You can easily imagine that Betty was lovingly patched together by an eager little girl just learning to sew. Betty Buttons does indeed have large button eyes and flower-shaped buttons on her frilly dress. She has a splash of adorable freckles and high ponytails in her yarn hair. Betty even has our OHM logo patched onto her little lacy bloomers.

If you ever cuddled a favorite doll, stuffed animal, security blanket, or comfort object as a child, then Betty Buttons was made especially for you. Ahhhh, feeling better already?