My family is super supportive of my hobby. My dad even searches for 'quilty' stuff at garage sales and flea markets. Last year he got me over a doz of joannes block of the month kits that someone sold him for $.50 . Yup fifty cents for all of them . Well that's the story he tells me anyway. Lol.

Now see that IS something I can do and that is collect jars of buttons. I love buttons and don't do a thing with them except pick up a different jar sometimes and just see what I can see. Everything in that jar is unusual and great too look at. Love buttons

I am amazed and equally impressed with all you button lovers. I love the stories and fascination you all have with your buttons. I never really thought of allowing my daughter to play with them. Now I have a mommy and me project for the next rainy day ..

I have several different jars of buttons, I just think some buttons are fascinating! never really thought about it. Just have them.

i love buttons. they are little pieces of people's lives. and i'm guilty of still sewing buttons on stuff, and using the button collection to match them. i have jet buttons that were on my grandmother's dress when she was a teen, back in victorian times. there's a button off my mom's favorite pink apron, a button off my favorite blouse, off my dad's PJs, teeny ones off my baby dresses. they strike a chord in my hands, too--it's a tactile thing. looking in my mom's button tin when i was little was one of my favorite rainy day things to do. there was a smell from the bakeite and celluloid buttons that still reminds me of rainy days and the button tin.

i have bottles from garage sales, my mom's old tin, some i purchased new, others that the grandsons have found and brought to me.and now i have a granddaughter who is four, and just the right age to introduce to the buttons. i think she'll enjoy them as much as she does seashells, fairies, and stickers.

Yes, I also love buttons. I inherited my husband's grandmothers buttons. She was quite the sewer, and I was the only one that came along that sewed, so I got them all. One idea I saw that I really liked, a large canning jar, bottom drilled to accomodate and electrical cord, a lamp harp added, to hold the top of the lamp shade and bulb, and the canning jar itself, filled with glorious buttons. Too Cute !!!!!!!!

I wish they thought that about me. I am always looking for buttons; never have enough since I do not have many in the first place.

I love buttons! dont know why, love the colors, the sounds they make rattling around, like to sort them, sew designs w/ them, make them into ornaments. Id put them on quilts, but am afraid, after I gave the quilt away, some kid somewhere would chew one off and choke - sharet

I think buttons to us Lady's is like marbles are to the men folks.
They are collected in the same manor I think . I know I love my buttons and have saved them forever as all the lady's in my family has for many many years :-D

I have jars of buttons in my sewing room, also a chest with lots of buttons still on the cards. Just love buttons. Most of the ones in the big jar belong to my MIL and she was born in 1901...

WOW! I never knew there was such a large interest in buttons to include clubs.

I cannot explain my facination except saving buttons is something that has been passed down through many generations. You never threw away clothes with the buttons.

I have quite a few still on the cards.. Some say $.10 up to $.59.. .. cant buy them for that much nowadays..

I love to look at all the colors and patterns buttons come in. I wish I had someone buying, or giving me buttons. I have been collecting them since I was a small child. I have thousands, and can spend peaceful hours looking through them.

One of my fondest memories is going to my grandmother's and playing with her "button box" while she sewed on her treadle machine. I was lucky enough to inherit that box of buttons and when I showed it to my 5 yo GD she was enthralled. Now when she comes to visit the first thing she asks is "Gramma, can I play with your button box?"

[quote=charity-crafter]My sister collected salt and pepper shakers for years and everyone knew it. She was collecting specific ones but we didn't know the difference.


I collect owls, and like your sister evryone gives me them every opportunity, and for Xmas, Birthday, Mothers Day etc. Some are nice, others... Well let's just say I wouldn't have bought them in a fit!

I agree.

I love buttons! I have jars, tins, and even a bread box full of buttons. I have been known to buy a tin of buttons just to get the one or two I really want. Of course, the remaining buttons go in my garage sale. :P

Bless their hearts for trying to help you :wink:
It is probably time to let them know you have plenty, enough for a lifetime, "Thank you for helping me" :D:D:D

Button, Button, who's got the button...Something My grandmother use to play with us. I love them all big and small.

Had to share what we do with buttons.

Do really like the above.
We collected buttons as in the war they were rationed, and, it goes against the grain to throw away good and pretty buttons in addition the ones made today are rubbish compared to the ones I have.

Do really like the above.
We collected buttons as in the war they were rationed, and, it goes against the grain to throw away good and pretty buttons in addition the ones made today are rubbish compared to the ones I have.

very cute. I got one for x-mas.

One of the most fun things I got to do when I was little was to play in moms button box. I really loved those buttons! One time after I was married my folks were moving to a smaller place and mom was cleaning out stuff. She brought me the button box! I was elated........until I opened the box and it was empty! She had dumped the buttons in the garbage and the truck had already taken them away! I was crushed. I still have that old box. It is a metal can that had had a frute cake from Montgomery Ward in about 1935. I guess loving that button box so much is what prompts me to buy buttons. I have filled it op with novelty buttons and a few that are actually for clothing.

I think there are button lovers and non-button lovers and one will never understand the other. I've loved to collect buttons since I was a little girl. My Nana used to sit me down with her huge button tin and I'd look at them for hours. Now my grandkids do the same with mine. Boys and girls alike they all love to arrange my buttons by color and string them for me.
I get a kick out of it. 8-)

I love reading all about everyones button stories . I'm glad I opened up this topic of conversation .

I think there is alot of button lovers out there You just dont hear much about them..I collect them too I remember my mom having tins full of buttons but when she passed I have no ideal what happened to them..but I get alot from friends and etc. Just sometimes hard to find in bulk at a reasonable price.You can use them on quilt tops or number of different things..I am sure you will find something to do with them...good luck

Thanks for the site. My residents will love making and wareing the felt carnations :thumbup:

I did this with my residents but I had them cut out grocery bag flowers (I made flower templates from plastic coffee can lids) to go behind the buttons. They colored the pedals with paint or crayons (according to their abilities) first. Some even made two flowers. They enjoyed rifling through the buttons. Some even remembered buttons from their past. It turned out to be more then just an art activity.