diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
index 0234054..27e4928 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_bool.js
@@ -129,10 +129,11 @@ define([
 
                 var description = this.model.get('description');
                 this.$el.attr("title", this.model.get("tooltip"));
-                if (description.trim().length === 0) {
+                this.$el.text(description);
+                var icon = this.model.get("icon");
+                $('<i class="fa"></i>').prependTo(this.$el).addClass(icon);
+                if (description.trim().length === 0 && icon.trim().length ===0) {
                     this.$el.html("&nbsp;"); // Preserve button height
-                } else {
-                    this.$el.text(description);
                 }
             }
             return ToggleButtonView.__super__.update.apply(this);
diff --git a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_button.js b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_button.js
index c476581..cc55f47 100644
--- a/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_button.js
+++ b/IPython/html/static/widgets/js/widget_button.js
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ define([
              */
             var description = this.model.get('description');
             this.$el.attr("title", this.model.get("tooltip"));
-            if (description.length === 0) {
+            this.$el.text(description);
+            var icon = this.model.get("icon");
+            $('<i class="fa"></i>').prependTo(this.$el).addClass(icon);
+            if (description.trim().length === 0 && icon.trim().length ===0) {
                 this.$el.html("&nbsp;"); // Preserve button height
-            } else {
-                this.$el.text(description);
             }
-            
             if (this.model.get('disabled')) {
                 this.$el.attr('disabled','disabled');
             } else {
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_bool.js b/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_bool.js
index 1d3ec62..556031c 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_bool.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_bool.js
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
             'Toggle button exists.');
 
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(bool_index, 
-            widget_togglebutton_selector, 'html')=="Title",
+            widget_togglebutton_selector, 'html')=='<i class="fa"></i>Title',
             'Toggle button labeled correctly.');
 
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(bool_index, 
diff --git a/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_button.js b/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_button.js
index e98da48..97ea5ee 100644
--- a/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_button.js
+++ b/IPython/html/tests/widgets/widget_button.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
             'Widget button exists.');
 
         this.test.assert(this.cell_element_function(button_index, 
-            widget_button_selector, 'html')=='Title',
+            widget_button_selector, 'html')=='<i class="fa"></i>Title',
             'Set button description.');
 
         this.cell_element_function(button_index, 
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
index a6f1ff5..976c721 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_bool.py
@@ -55,10 +55,15 @@ class ToggleButton(_Bool):
            value of the toggle button: True-pressed, False-unpressed
        description : str
 	   description displayed next to the button
+       tooltip: str
+           tooltip caption of the toggle button
+       icon: str
+           font-awesome icon name
 """
     
     _view_name = Unicode('ToggleButtonView', sync=True)
     tooltip = Unicode(help="Tooltip caption of the toggle button.", sync=True)
+    icon = Unicode('', help= "Font-awesome icon.", sync=True)
 
     button_style = CaselessStrEnum(
         values=['primary', 'success', 'info', 'warning', 'danger', ''], 
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
index e91f3d2..4d5549c 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_button.py
@@ -24,15 +24,25 @@ from IPython.utils.warn import DeprecatedClass
 @register('IPython.Button')
 class Button(DOMWidget):
     """Button widget.
+       This widget has an `on_click` method that allows you to listen for the 
+       user clicking on the button.  The click event itself is stateless.
 
-    This widget has an `on_click` method that allows you to listen for the 
-    user clicking on the button.  The click event itself is stateless."""
+       Parameters
+       ----------
+       description : str
+           description displayed next to the button
+       tooltip: str
+           tooltip caption of the toggle button
+       icon: str
+           font-awesome icon name
+    """
     _view_name = Unicode('ButtonView', sync=True)
 
     # Keys
     description = Unicode('', help="Button label.", sync=True)
     tooltip = Unicode(help="Tooltip caption of the button.", sync=True)
     disabled = Bool(False, help="Enable or disable user changes.", sync=True)
+    icon = Unicode('', help= "Font-awesome icon.", sync=True)
 
     button_style = CaselessStrEnum(
         values=['primary', 'success', 'info', 'warning', 'danger', ''],