Making a 2004 Campaign Button Collage
A collage of campaign buttons can turn a small collection of political memorabilia into a visual record of the 2004 United States presidential election. Buttons supporting John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry, along with pieces connected to youth organising, reveal how campaigns communicated their messages through colour, slogans, symbols and grassroots enthusiasm.
For Australian families, this project offers a useful way to explore an American election while thinking about local civic life. The finished artwork can preserve the atmosphere surrounding Kids for Kerry, the youth-focused website founded by seventh-grader Ilana Wexler, without treating political material as something reserved for adults.
Gathering buttons and related materials
Begin by collecting campaign buttons, badges, stickers, printed leaflets and small fabric patches linked to the 2004 election. A genuine Kerry-Edwards button may be the centrepiece, while a Kids for Kerry printout, a handmade sign or a reproduction poster can provide context around it. Teresa Heinz Kerry material may add another colour or design style to the arrangement.
Original American campaign buttons can be harder to find in Australia than local political badges. Search Australian eBay listings, vintage stalls, specialist political memorabilia dealers and op shops in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. A school fete or community market may also produce unrelated Australian badges that can be kept separate from the main display.
Do not remove paper labels or alter valuable items simply to make them fit. Photograph rare pieces before using them, and consider making colour photocopies when an original is fragile. The aim is to create an accessible display while keeping the historical objects in good condition.
Planning the visual story
Before gluing anything, place every item on a large sheet of paper. A2 cartridge paper gives a generous working area, while an A3 sheet is easier to frame and store. Arrange the buttons by colour, size, message or likely role in the campaign rather than attaching them randomly.
A central cluster could feature the main Kerry-Edwards design, with smaller pieces radiating outward like a campaign noticeboard. Another arrangement might follow a timeline: early campaign identity, youth participation, election-day energy and later reflection. Leave enough space for short captions explaining what each item represents.
A collage does not need to be perfectly symmetrical. Political campaigns often use repetition and strong visual contrast, so overlapping circles, angled paper strips and blocks of red, white and blue can reflect that style. Keep the background uncluttered enough that slogans remain readable.
Choosing safe and practical supplies
Use a rigid backing board, acid-free paper, PVA glue, double-sided adhesive squares and a ruler. A low-temperature glue gun may be useful for thick plastic items, but it should be handled by an adult. For a display intended for children, adhesive squares are often safer and allow some pieces to be repositioned.
Scissors with rounded tips suit younger makers, while a craft knife should remain an adult-only tool. If the collage includes metal badges, place a thin layer of felt or cardboard beneath them so the pin backs do not scratch a table or wall.
Useful materials for a durable display
- A2 or A3 archival paper and backing board
- Adhesive squares, removable tape and acid-free glue
- Fine markers for captions and dates
- Clear sleeves or a frame for protection
Australian craft shops such as Spotlight commonly stock suitable paper, mounting board and display supplies. Officeworks can be useful for colour copies, scanning and poster-sized printing, while local picture framers may cut a protective mount for an unusual collage size.
Designing the layout around participation
The strongest collages show more than a candidate’s name. Include visual references to the campaign’s youth audience: a speech excerpt, a volunteer sign-up message, a quiz question, or a small note about young people discussing public issues with their families. Kids for Kerry encouraged children to follow campaign news, create materials and participate in civic conversations, making those elements important to the story.
Use captions that explain rather than persuade. For example, a label might read, “Youth campaign website connected children with election news and activities,” or, “Button collected as an example of 2004 Democratic campaign memorabilia.” This approach keeps the display suitable for a classroom, library, family room or local history project.
If you include a quotation from a speech or leaflet, copy it accurately and identify its source. A short excerpt is usually enough. Place longer text in a separate panel so the collage remains visually clear.
Small details that add context
- Add the date “2004” in a visible but understated position
- Mark original items and reproductions separately
- Include a small map showing the United States
- Note that Australian viewers experienced the campaign from overseas
A map can be printed through Officeworks or drawn by hand, giving the display a clear geographic frame. If the collage is shown at a school in Adelaide, Perth or Hobart, a small caption can explain that the material travelled across the Pacific and is being viewed from an Australian perspective.
Preserving the history of the election
Campaign buttons are inexpensive objects, yet they can carry information about design, political identity and public participation. Look closely at their typography, colour combinations and slogans. Compare a mass-produced button with a hand-drawn poster or homemade badge. The contrast helps show how official campaign branding existed alongside individual creativity.
Avoid placing original paper items in direct sunlight, particularly in a north-facing room during an Australian summer. Heat and ultraviolet light can fade ink and make paper brittle. Store spare material in polypropylene sleeves rather than ordinary plastic pockets, which may trap moisture or react with printed surfaces.
If the collage is intended as a temporary activity, mount the pieces with removable methods and photograph the result. The digital image can be saved with notes about who made it, where the objects came from and when the display was completed. This creates a simple archive for a family collection or school history folder.
Sharing the finished collage
A completed display can support a discussion about how children encounter elections through websites, posters, family conversations and community events. It can also open a comparison with Australian political campaigning, including how badges and corflute signs appear during federal elections, council contests and local school events.
Keep the comparison factual. Australia’s compulsory voting system, preferential voting and frequent use of roadside signs differ from the United States’ presidential election process. The point is not to make the two systems identical, but to show how campaign objects reflect the rules and customs of the places where they are used.
For a community presentation, place the collage beside a short explanation of Kids for Kerry and Ilana Wexler’s role in creating a youth-oriented campaign space. A library display in Melbourne, a classroom in regional New South Wales or a family history project in Brisbane can all use the artwork to discuss media, citizenship and participation at an age-appropriate level.
A digital scan can be shared with relatives or added to a private family archive. For public display, check the permissions attached to reproduced photographs, campaign graphics and newspaper clippings. Keep identifying information about children private, especially when documenting school or community activities online.
Build the collage carefully, record where each item came from and give every button room to tell part of the story. Whether the materials come from an Australian op shop, an online marketplace or a family collection, the finished piece can preserve a distinctive moment in youth political engagement and invite thoughtful civic discussion.