Monday, July 9, 2012

Save the Buttons

Once upon a time there was a girl who collected buttons. She had a lot of buttons...Whenever I see buttons at a thrift store or antique shop I have to take them home. In fact I just bought these fabulous buttons from the Columbus Antique Mall. I think these are going to take a frock from lovely to spectacular. That is if I can part with them!



I have a box with drawers from the hardware store, that I believe was meant to store and sort screws and what not, but mine is filled with buttons. I have a couple of old Mason jars full of buttons and yet, still, I find buttons tucked into nooks and crannies in my sewing room.

©Amy Boyle Photography

I just realized though that not everybody feels the odd compulsion that I do to collect buttons and so when you lose a button it isn't possible to go to your button stash and find a button to replace it. I do have some friends who inherited a button stash from their mother or grandmother and if you were lucky enough to do so then please, by all means, use the buttons.

If you did not inherit a jar of buttons it is quite easy to create your own. Many times when you buy an item of clothing it comes with an extra button. Save it. Throw it in a jam jar or a baggie or toss it in the junk drawer (the latter may make finding a button difficult though). If you have an item of clothing that is too worn or wrecked to donate then cut off the buttons before you get rid of it.

The pink nightgown I made into a shirt only came with two top buttons and so I went through my stash and found a couple of more to add to it. I have a set of black velveteen buttons that I have reused on multiple items of clothing. I have also swapped out buttons if I did not like them and buttons can change the way something looks.

This shirt is available here


Collar from a dress remade and finished with a button from my stash.


If this was a fairy tale I'm sure that there would have been a lesson to be learned, but all I can say is start saving your buttons!

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