Last week I was on a vintage button-buying spree on Etsy, looking for interesting things to spruce up my crafting. I did a search for “vintage buttons” and many, many things turned up. It’s a bit overwhelming to look through all the results, but when I filtered through I ended up finding two things that really caught my eye.
The first came from the seller Vintage Necessities, who has a ton of buttons to choose from. It looks like they are sorted by type and color into various sized lots. I was really drawn to a small bundle of green, white, and yellow plastic buttons. When they arrived, I was not disappointed.
Each one is different from the next, but they all relate to one another. I can see them working well on a simple cardigan or baby sweater at some point.
My next find came from a seller called Wistful Supplies that specializes in all sorts of jewelry-making supplies and miscellaneous whimsies. I found these vintage wallpaper and fabric inspired buttons. Silly me: I didn’t notice the descriptions said they were “pin back buttons” and was expecting something else.
Pins or buttons, they are really fun and I’m sure I will find a use for them. In the meantime, I keep trolling the local thrift shops looking for a fun mixed bag o’ buttons to start building a collection. All I have so far is a little jar full of all those extra buttons that come with new clothes: buttons from jackets, shirts, and trousers that I own. These have been fine, but I want to diversify my portfolio, so to speak!
Do you have a button collection? How do you find your buttons? How do you store them?



August 1, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Thanks for those links – I’ve gone straight and favourited them both. The trouble with Etsy for me is that there’s so much there, my head starts spinning after a while, and I typically end up buying nothing.
I’ve got a small vintage button collection. I pick them up in antique and junk shops, and on ebay.
August 1, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I store my buttons in jars and old coffee tins.
August 2, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I got a lot through Charity shop finds to build up a bulk. I keep them in biscuit tins and love to get them out to play with them
August 2, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Etsy is one of my favorite sources for vintage buttons! I store mine in jam jars by color, so buying lots by color on etsy sure makes things easy and I’ve gotten some really pretty buttons.