Smith and Co. was inspired by vintage haberdashery, spinning wheels, the Wombles, treadle sewing machines, antique graphic design and old wooden coat hangers printed with five digit phone numbers of long-gone local drycleaners.

Rick cuts the timber, sands the buttons and countersinks the holes. Lucy helps with the sanding, brushes on the linseed oil and fastens the buttons to the cards. She also gets to use the Smith and Co. stamp.

The wood is salvaged from buildings demolished in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes. They honour the heritage that Christchurch has lost, and embrace the opportunity to create new heritage in our city.

Making buttons uses small pieces of timber that generally can't be used for anything much else. It's our way of making good use of the things that we find, and keeping little pieces of history alive.

Follow Smith and Co. on Facebook at http://facebook.com/handmadehaberdashery.