When someone special to us is ill or has died it can help to think about who we have around us, and that the person who is ill or has died still has a place in our family. The button tree is a nice thing to make to remind us of the branches of our family and to think about who is closest to us. 

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You will need:

• A small canvas or a wooden board painted white
• PVA glue, or if you have an adult helping you you can use a glue gun
• A selection of buttons
• A piece of paper 
• Felt tips
• Permanent markers
• A pencil 

Instructions:

1. Start by making a list of all the people you want on your button tree on a piece of A4 paper and choose a button to represent each person.

2. Place your chosen button next to their name, you could take a picture of your names and buttons to help you remember who is who.

3. Design your tree. If you want to, you can practice on a piece of paper and then trace the design onto the canvas. There are lots of examples of button trees on the internet.

4. Draw the tree using a permanent marker, a washable pen is fine too but it will fade over time.

5. Position all of your buttons where you want them on the tree, then stick down with the glue.

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Watch our short animated film which suggests ways children and young people can remember someone important to them who has died.