My Button Box

I once told a friend about my button collection. She laughed and said she and her sisters would probably fight over her mother's button box some day. It's one thing everyone wants to inherit. Can you say "sentimental"?

I will probably have to share my mother's buttons with my sisters, too--although I think as the eldest I should get them all. The younger ones can get them after I pass on.

Buttons and other notions can be expensive. Seasoned dressmakers have always saved buttons from clothing that was about to be repurposed or discarded. Yes, one can get a card of cheap plastic buttons at a discount store, but a well-stocked button box might have some more interesting alternatives for free!

I have sometimes purchased a dress at a thrift shop simply for the buttons. A shirtdress with ten lovely buttons may sell at a thrift store for less than the price of ten new buttons. Likewise, I have sometimes purchased an item with missing buttons or boring buttons and replaced them with lovely buttons from my stash. A change of buttons can give new life to a garment that was starting to feel dull.

Buttons can also be used in a variety of craft projects. Many a child in the past was entertained by making button strings--developing fine motor skills while learning to sort.

Buttons can be displayed in glass jars, made into button strings, or mounted on a fabric-covered board for display. Since I am an avid dressmaker, I keep most of my buttons safely in my button box until needed for a project. In my opinion, the best way to display a beautiful button is to wear it!