Thursday, August 2, 2012

Buttons, Buttons, I've Got The Buttons

Do you have one of these? Or perhaps your Mom or Grandma or favorite Aunt had/has one...a button box. Or in my case, a button tin. A tin full of different, strange, fun, pretty and interesting buttons. I don't even sew! I used to make sweatshirts that I would embellish with buttons and that's how I started collecting them. I haven't added to this collection in years but I just couldn't throw it away. Now I've found a cool use for them. I was going through some magazines I was getting ready to toss to recycle when I spied an article with instructions on how to make bracelets from old buttons. It's easy, cheap and a project I think my Granddaughters and I will have fun with. I'll show some finished products when I get done. I'm anxious to start! I'm not an "Arts and Crap" lover..but now I have a use for these!
All kinds of buttons to pick from. I think this project will be fun!
I thought these were cool...little pine tree buttons..Hmmmm...Whispering Pine tree buttons? The wheels are turning!

16 comments:

selvageedge said...

My mom and grandma both had button boxes. Odd, but when I saw your pictures I could actually SMELL my grandma's buttons. Strange the way memories are stored.

Thank you for commenting on my blog. Believe it or not, Jim and Norma DON'T water! I think their secret is super heavy mulch, fertilizer and hearty varieties of plants. And I think they sit outside and send them a lot of love vibes too. Well maybe not, I think they only sit when visitors come. I think they are usually bent over weeding and mulching. :)

Rick Watson said...

My mom had a tin in the shape of a football. It must have been my older brother's lunchbox at one time. But it was full of buttons. Neat memory.

PoetessWug said...

What a great thing, Yaya! You know how much I love buttons! My crochet flowers in my shop wouldn't be the same without them. And I can't wait to see what your bracelets will look like!...I see we have some of the same buttons too...Hmmmm... ^_^

Susan Anderson said...

Cool idea. I have a button bowl (a deep one) that one of my kids made for me in pottery class. It is full to the brim, and bracelets sounds like a good way to go!

=)

Rosaria Williams said...

What a great idea! You could invent the next big thing!

karen said...

I have a button tin too - but the ones I have in there aren't nearly as wonderful as yours! I've given the more unusual ones to my daughter to use in her necklace and bracelet making. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Melissa Chorba said...

I have a very small button box... mostly because I have little kiddos that take care of them before it gets too full :P Rinda Perdue is a button collector, she has made a button lamp even - super cute! She has a ton of neat ideas for them, and I'm sure she would love to hear about your button bracelets!

Kim said...

Ooh, can't wait to see . My grandmother had a button tin. It's probably around here somewhere.

acorn hollow said...

Can't wait to see your new bracelets.
Cathy

Darlene said...

You really have some beautiful ones, Kathy. I have always been intrigued by button boxes. My mom had one and I could spend hours when I was a kid, going through them and making all kinds of designs and things with them. Of course I now have one of my own. It also is a tin, and I admit there are an awful lot of buttons in it, but they are the more utilitarian kind. I don't think there are many that are truly decorative. You will have a blast with your new interest, I'll bet. Of course we will all be interested to see the results.

Stacy said...

My great-grandma had a button tin. It was hard to open. So often when I opened it to spy at the curious buttons in there, I sprayed them across her living room. It kept me busy for hours. I loved her house!

I too have a button jar. It is decoration in my bathroom. Everytime I buy a new shirt (etc) with a button bag, I put them in the jar.

I'm excited to see your finished project.

momto8 said...

this is definitely for arts and crafts lovers...my crafty kids hoard buttons!! I would not have a clue what to with them.

Sandi said...

I have my great grandmother's button basket, and I still have buttons that I remember being on one of her dresses! I've added to it over the years, with other old buttons I've found, and lots of newer ones I bought for something or other, then never used.

It's true that the button basket has a certain smell. It reminds me of my grandma!

Bonnie said...

My mom has a button box! It comes in handy whenever I lose a button on a jacket or a pair of pants. She must have 100 or so by now. It's insane.

http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
Twitter: @GlamKitten88

Kerri said...

We use to play that game when I was little( hide the button) ...button button, I've got the button. What a great idea to make bracelettes! You should store your buttons in a clear jar or bowl so you can see them!

Unknown said...

I'm visiting from Sweet Tea's blog after your encouragement to her. I live in Oregon now after relocating two years ago from California. The beauty is that my daughters also moved here as well so I'm not too far from all that is going on in their lives. PS---Love your blog and the button bracelet idea!