Make pin cushions with top and bottom buttons. Picture flowers with button centers.

Becka, one of my friends made tote bags with this idea on one side. Then she added some yoyo's to a sweatshirt. Both of these ideas were so cute made up. Try this instead of waiting for a full size quilt. It's too intimidating to me, but small projects still use up buttons.

I too would be interested in purchasing your buttons if you decide to sell them. I have used them as quilting embellishments, in paper pinwheels, and other projects. My daughter is in grad school and will be an elementary teacher next year. She has already raided my button jars for school projects and I anticipate it being rapidly depleted when she is a full fledged teacher. Otherwise I have most of them in a large glass canisters sitting on a shelf in my sewing space.

My DGS age 6 like to look through my buttons and collect the "pretty" ones. I have some of my mom's, my grandmothers, and the ones I have added. It seems when I was making clothing, I was always one button short, and had to buy more--usually one or two more than I needed so I could add to my collection. lol
Sue

I, too, have many jars of buttons, sorted into different colors and sizes by jar. Any time I put a shirt in the rag box I take the buttons off and put them in jars, too. I've seen art quilts made with them using the buttons as bubbles in an underwater scene. I think I'm going to try that. One day.

If you want to get them off your hands, I just bought a glass jar lamp and have been looking for something to put in it. I would be willing to buy them from both of you if that is not against the Board's rules. I am new to this.

Every time I go to the Flea market I can't resist buying buttons. I have a big tin of them that are quite old and new. I just like collecting buttons. I do use them for sewing but not the very old ones as I collect them.

I have always loved buttons. I buy "antique" clothes from resale, Goodwill etc. shops and cut off buttons (keeping the whole strip holding the buttons intact); then, cut the fabric seams open to keep for other projects.

I too would pay postage for anyone wanting to get rid of their button collection.

use them to decorate greeting cards, jackets,jeans, or as someone else suggested put them in a pretty glass jar and admire them.

I made a Turning Twenty quilt for my DD, and she wanted buttons sewn on it -- at the corners of the squares. No two buttins were alike on the quilt, and it looked terrific!

I got rid of all my buttons awhile ago & have been kicking myself in the behind ever since. Now when I need them to decorate a quilt top I can't find what I need. Lesson learned.
Smiles

When cleaning out my unused supplies I learned by county's agency for mentally disabled people has a group that does crafts and projects to keep their minds as stimulated as possible. I was able to donate a lot of stuff to them. Call your county commissioners office or "MRDD" office.

Pay attention when cleaning out! I didn't mean to donate my mother's button collection to Goodwill but later discovered one of the tins I donated must have contained it because it is nowhere to be found now! By the time I went back to my local store, it had gone to a distribution/sorting center. Drat.

Years ago I was into making "chunky" African Jewelry and I accummulated a whooooooole lot of wooden buttons in all sizes and earthy colors. Ran across them recently and pulled them out because I see a use for them in a line of African Quilts I'm working on now.
Use those buttons girl, just not on baby quilts:>)

Buttons are great for crazy quilts - that what I used my small collection for - with hand embroidery.

I also saw a small lamp base covered with buttons at a LQS really cute in a sewing room.

I have a collection also. They are sorted in old mason jars by color. Wanted to put a narrow shelf around my sewing room and display them. I do find lots of uses for them. Recently made snowmen pins with different size white buttons, they are so cute.

I have my mother's and grandmother's buttons in a large jar in my sewing room. I don't think I would ever get rid of them but I do try to include them in quilting projects I am working on.

you could group them (by color or style, etc) and sell them on here. A lot of quilters use them. I am sometimes looking for buttons!

Very cute!!

That is cool!!

I have a bunch of buttons too. I will not part with them, after all I never know when I may have a need for one. LOL I have used them on purses and on clothes.
I have some sorted in small jars by color. Someday I intend to go through them and match up and thread them together. Just as soon as I get done with all my other projects. :-)

Right now I am looking for a huge see through jar to put my spools in.

Wow....so many good ideas for buttons; makes me want to START collecting!

I once sorted all my buttons by color & put in containers.---but I missed the sound of the buttons in the tin can they originally came from---dumped & mixed them all up & they went back in cans. don't you remember running your fingers through your Moms' button box or can ?

i too am making african print quilts. i had a coupla of friends bring me fabric back from ghana and nigeria plus i have ordered african print fabrics from the new york wholesale shops. never thought of the wooden buttons to enhance the quilts. i have plenty of vintage buttons but not wooden ones. i will keep on the lookout now.

i had mine separated by color in tackle boxes but then i dropped one of them soooo....... all of the light colored buttons are all mixed up in my see through tackle box, thousands of them. :-) never got into the tin cans.

Just pulled down 2 15 quart storage boxes full of buttons, most still on cards and most from pre 1980's, mothers and mine. I will NEVER use them all, and hate to toss them. Will be closely following replies on this one!!

Some great ideas. I too have jars of buttons. Sometimes I even use them!

I have one my Mom made. I even opened it up to get a replacement clothe covered button she had made for a dress I still had.

The glass jar lamp filled with buttons is a great idea. My friend did that with her mother's old buttons and it was a real show stopper!

I also collect buttons, am willing to pay for them and shipping! I love color buttons they just brighten up a room!

If ssomeone has lots of buttons for sale PM me. I had a huge jar but there are 3 generations of us that scrapbook every Wednesday at my house and they have gone through a LOT of buttons. One of my granddaughters just make a pumpkin for Halloween with BOO "written" in buttons. Look on Pinterest and there are TONS of ideas!!!

I usually display some of them in the old fashion canning jars, the blue tinited ones. I use them myself (have bought many) for pictues that I make along with yoyo's, and embroidery thread. You could sell them at a yard sale or even on this board...

i'm going to an estate sale in the morning. there are jars of buttons and tables of fabric for sale. hopefully i get there early enough to snag the buttons and find some great fabrics.

the sewing machine with cabinet is priced at $15.00. the fabric looks vintage so hopefully there are great prices on it all.

I just gave my niece a t-shirt that had buttons sewn around the front of the neckline, about 3-4 rows but not in a straight line, just all mixed up. She loved it. (P.S. I bought it that way.)

This is what I do with antique buttons!

I've seen some beautiful jewelry made with vingtage buttons. My older sister got ALL of my grandmothers buttons - grandma was a seamstress and had a great collection, as children we spent hours and hours playing with them - counting, sorting, sewing on scraps of fabric...

Other possibilities: check with the local schools. They often use buttons to teach kiddos to count, other 4- H club, Boy and Girl Scout troops,( esp Brownies).Have fun ! Sara

You ccould do a casual quilt (shirtings, homespuns) and instead of tying the quilt, you could sew on the buttons to hold the layers together.........looks really pretty.......

I'm like many of you, I have sooo many. When my grandmother
passed, mother kept hers. Then when my mother passed I had a whole day of button sorting. I do have a half gallon glass jar that is about 3/4 full, and it is made into a lamp
then I have several old odd shape Mason jars on top of my
fabric cabinet. One jar is all white, one red and green,
one metal, and etc. I also filled a couple quart size with
the old wood spools. I just enjoy looking at them.
I don't sew a lot of clothing any more, but when I do I
never seem to have the right size, color, or amount of buttons in my collection, so end up buying some more..

that sounds like a great use for them.

I made lamps from large jars of buttons, put the bulb socket on the lid, made pretty shades and use in my sewing room and small ones on my dresser.