21 Frugal Uses for Grandma’s Button Box
- Make a Set of Magnets. Bring a cohesive look to your fridge with fabric-covered magnets that go from vintage to modern within minutes.
- Embellish a Napkin.
- Upcycle a Pretty Frame.
- Make a Set of Pushpins.
- Fill a Vase.
- Make a Bookmark.
- Craft a Pretty Card.
- Embellish a Tote Bag or Purse.
Contents
10 Clever Ways to Use Buttons All Over the House
- of 10. Make Magnets.
- of 10. Craft a Clippy Bookmark.
- of 10. Secure a Hand Towel.
- of 10. Keep Earrings Paired.
- of 10. Play a Game.
- of 10. Fix Broken Jeans.
- of 10. Add Flair to Gift Wrap.
- of 10.
In general, clothing button prices can range from a few cents to a few hundred dollars each. Only rare examples in stellar condition bring high dollar values though. Embellishments like hand painting and enameling on antique French or Victorian buttons can lead them to be worth $200 or more.
When antique buttons are included in a set or collection, they can sometimes be even more valueable. People have been collecting buttons for a long time, and the oldest collections can include rare and valuable buttons.
26 Innovative and Beautiful Button Crafts and Projects
- Button Bowl.
- Quick Bookmarks.
- Simple Wall Art.
- Oh Christmas Tree.
- Beautified Button Shoes.
- Fridge Magnets.
- Necklaces.
- Bracelets.
21 Frugal Uses for Grandma’s Button Box
- Make a Set of Magnets. Bring a cohesive look to your fridge with fabric-covered magnets that go from vintage to modern within minutes.
- Embellish a Napkin.
- Upcycle a Pretty Frame.
- Make a Set of Pushpins.
- Fill a Vase.
- Make a Bookmark.
- Craft a Pretty Card.
- Embellish a Tote Bag or Purse.
The rare Washington artifact is now the world’s most valuable Washington button, created to celebrate the first president’s 1789 Inauguration.
Custom Buttons Pricing Guide
| 100 | 250 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1″ Round | $0.56 | $0.48 |
| 1 1/4″ Round | $0.58 | $0.50 |
| 1 1/2″ Round | $0.60 | $0.52 |
| 1 3/4″ Round | $0.62 | $0.54 |
A bin, bowl, jar, etc. is usually the go-to way to display buttons. People love to dig through a big pile of buttons or magnets to see what treasures may be hiding underneath. The trick is to find a jar or bin with a lid, that way the container doubles as storage after you’ve packed up.
This is a one piece metal button, which archaeologists often refer to as “flat disc” buttons. One piece buttons were often made of copper alloys.Tombac is an alloy of copper and zinc, which originally would have had a pale yellow-white color.
One way to identify a bakelite button is to run hot water over it and then smell it. It should have the smell of formaldehyde. Some say they smell like cod liver oil or have a sweet chemical smell. Another way is to put a bit of Simichrome metal polish or 409 All-Purpose Cleaner on a Q-tip and rub it on the button.
10 Ways to Reuse Buttons
- Frames. After a recent spring cleaning, I found an old, busted-looking frame.
- Stationery. If you don’t have any unused cards and envelopes sitting around your house, make some!
- Magnets. Now this anyone can handle.
- Pushpins.
- Jewelry.
- Jewelry Organizer.
- Button Trees.
- Candle Holder Decoration.
- Turn them into magnets. You’ll need:
- Use them to decorate gifts. When you wrap your presents, tie a lovely ribbon bow on top and pin a button in the middle.
- Put them on a headband.
- Make into cupcake toppers.
- Make them into earrings, a necklace or a bracelet.
Seven Button Storage Tips
- #1 Use what you have or can obtain.
- #2 Organize buttons in the way you will use them.
- #3 Store miscellaneous buttons separate from sets of buttons.
- #4 If your space is limited, you may need to double up categories.
- #5 You also may have to store many sets of buttons in the same container.
Keep all your spare buttons in a labeled box, and you’ll always know where to find the correct replacement button for any garment you have sewn. Consider pairing this tip with “Custom Repair Kits.” Find other ways to keep track of buttons, in “Organize Your Button Stash.”
” (Waterbury Buttons can be identified by the capital W’s or the company name found on the back of its buttons.” Collectors indicate rare Waterbury Buttons, like large gilts from the 1840’s, are worth up to several hundred dollars each.
about 5000 years old
Ian McNeil (1990) holds that “the button was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and about 5000 years old.”
Some of these collectibles are actually worth a great deal of money. In times past, buttons were often created from a wide range of materials, some of them highly prized.Brass buttons that once adorned military uniforms may be valuable. Even Depression-era buttons can be a lot of fun to collect for fun and for profit.
Mother of pearl buttons have more depth of color than plastic buttons. It takes a look to tell them from any other buttons due to their noble opalescent sheen.
But natural nacre buttons come in colors like:
- white,
- gray,
- beige,
- pink,
- black.
YES People still do wear custom pin badges and buttons…and they’re totally rocking! They are usually worn during concerts but for cool kids, they add them to their OOTDs to add more spice and badassness to their look.
Resale value of a used button maker after 1000 buttons = Easily $300, probably more! Total revenue on 2000 buttons @ $2 each = $4000 Cost = $611 It’s profitable, It’s fun and unlike the bankers job, it’s honest!