Saturday, July 11, 2009

Buttons! Buttons! Buttons!


There's just something about these things that I can't seem to shake. They're small. Some are glittery. Some are shiny. Some have rhinestones...let's face it. I would have made a GREAT raccoon. You know what I told Darby I wanted, more than anything else, for Christmas this past year? (keep in mind that I am a jewelry collector...). A BIG TIN OF MIXED BUTTONS TO SORT. And my sweetheart of a husband actually found one that hadn't been "picked" through. Finding beautiful antique buttons has become quite a challenge these days. It seems true antique buttons have become a major collector's item. Based on buttons found in museums in other countries, buttons have been collected since at least the 19th Century. For years, and still today, many people are "accidental" collectors. Think of that little box in your jewelry chest with buttons. Or your grandmother's button box. Those boxes many times turn into the beginnings of true collections. In 1938, the National Button Society was founded and recognized as an organized hobby. I personally have met people who have asked me if I have ever bought vintage clothing just to get the buttons. (ummm.....yes). I sell lots and lots of buttons to crafters and I love hearing their plans for the buttons. Everything from earrings, necklaces, mixed media, altered art...you name it. I actually have a large jar on the floor in my living room that I fill with buttons and it makes a great accent piece. You could group together 3 glass containers of different heights and fill them with vibrant buttons as a centerpiece. So many ways to use buttons with your daily life. (just keep them away from the babies!) If you are lucky, you might just find a beautiful, tiny treasure to display! The varieties of buttons you could find are almost limitless: glass, handpainted, ceramic, plastic, celluloid, rhinestone, enamel, silk, mother of pearl, fabric...happy hunting!

3 comments:

Jenny said...

I have a huge Anchor Hocking jar filled with white buttons on my mantel!! I mean HUGE!!!!!! I love them!!

Hope Evey said...

I love buttons, too, although I'm more of an accidental collector than a serious one :)

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