How to Make a Button Lamp

In the 1800s, families living on the American prairie didn’t always have access to store-bought candles or lanterns. Instead, pioneers used what they had—metal buttons, scraps of cloth, bits of fat or grease—to create small, handy lights known as button lamps. Made famous again thanks to Little House on the Prairie, these tiny lamps offered just enough light for sewing, mending, or moving quietly around a dark cabin. In this post, I will be showing you how to make a button lamp.

Read more about last week’s activities whilst reading Little House in the Big Woods

Re-creating a button lamp is a wonderful way to bring history to life during your Little House on the Prairie Unit Study. Kids get hands-on experience with resourcefulness, early engineering, and the challenges of pioneer living. Below is a safe, modernised version of the craft that captures the historical feel without the hazards of handling hot grease or unstable flames.

⚠️ Important Safety Note

Authentic button lamps use open flame, hot fat, and flammable cloth. We made them simply as an ornament and for show. We did not set light to them.
For children, only conduct this activity under close adult supervision.
A safer alternative—an LED “button lamp”—is included below.

We did ours according to My Little House Craft Book, which basically wrapped each button in a square and tie with raffia. Ma made these soaked in grease to burn whenever she had run out of oil. We didn’t soak them in grease and had no intention of setting them alight. I have included the historical way of making these as well as a completely safe alternate, just in case you are interested.

Materials Needed (Historical Version)

• Metal button (with holes)
• Cotton string or thin cotton scrap (for the wick)
• Small metal lid or heat-safe dish
• A small amount of cooking oil, lard, or tallow
• Match or lighter (adult use only)
• Tweezers or a toothpick

How Button Lamps Worked on the Prairie

Button lamps were simple, clever, and inexpensive. A scrap of cotton acted as the wick and was threaded through the holes of a metal button. The button gave the wick weight so it wouldn’t fall into the fat or oil. When the cotton wick absorbed the fuel, it could be lit and would burn slowly, providing a tiny, flickering light. Though small, it was often enough for nighttime chores or story time around the hearth.

How to Make a Button Lamp (Historical Method)

1. Prepare the Wick

Cut a thin strip of cotton fabric or use a piece of cotton string. Thread it up through the holes of the metal button, leaving about half an inch sticking out above the button.

2. Secure the Button

Pull the wick tight so the button sits snugly at the base. This will weigh down the wick and keep it upright.

3. Prepare the Fuel Dish

Fill a small metal lid or heat-safe dish with about 1–2 tablespoons of oil, lard, or tallow. You only need enough for the wick to soak.

4. Soak the Wick

Place the button-and-wick into the dish so the button rests on the bottom and the wick floats upward. Give it at least a minute to absorb fuel.

5. Light the Wick (Adults Only)

Once soaked, carefully light the very tip of the wick.
It will burn slowly, producing a small, steady flame similar to an oil lamp.

6. Discuss the History While It Burns

As the lamp flickers, talk about:

• How pioneers lit their homes
• Why simple lighting was important
• How this compares to modern electricity
• Which Little House scenes mention homemade lamps

A Safer Classroom Version: LED “Button Lamp”

If you want a fully child-safe activity, try this version instead:

Materials

• Large metal or wooden button
• Short piece of cotton string
• Small battery-operated tea light or LED “flame”
• Glue
• Small dish or jar lid

Steps

1. Thread the cotton through the button so it resembles a wick.
2. Glue the button into the dish.
3. Place the LED light behind the “wick” so the glow shines upward.
4. Let children pretend to “light” their lamp and use it in dramatic play.

This version still teaches historical engineering concepts (weight, wick, fuel, light) without using an actual flame.

Why Kids Love This Activity

Making a button lamp, whether the historical flame version or the child-safe LED version, creates a memorable, hands-on connection to Little House on the Prairie. It’s simple, thrifty, and rooted in real pioneer life. Kids love seeing how people of the 1800s used everyday objects to solve everyday problems, and educators love how it blends history, science, creativity, and storytelling all in one project.

A button lamp isn’t just a craft. It’s an experience that illuminates pioneer ingenuity and makes your Little House on the Prairie Unit Study truly shine.

 For more activities please do visit my MEGA Little House on the Prairie Unit Study page, which contains all ten weeks of our summer building our own Little House on the Prairie!