I hoard old buttons.
When I see them sitting in old mason jars or tin cans in antique shops, I just can't resist them.
My grandmother left me a tin of her buttons and that's what got me started. For years, they sat in the closet and I could have cared less about them. About seven years ago, I discovered them, and started to use them in sewing and art projects. Then, I realized that a lot of them were very old, and I probably shouldn't have! I don't know..I see people buying them on ebay for a lot of money. I haven't really studied them or researched them, guess I should.
I especially love the floral ones and the metal picture ones.
Also, I think the bone ones are neat, and the crsytal ones are so pretty. I think these bone ones date back to the mid to late 1800's.
I also LOVE the Mother of Pearl ones:
I used a combination of mother of pearl buttons and off white ones to make a simple brooch. I cut out two heart shaped pieces of cardboard, glued them together, covered them with an antique piece of embossed red velvet, and used a gold trim to hide the edging. Then, I layered the buttons and added a pin clasp in the back.
Fun for Valentine's Day and doesn't take long to make.
