Lucky you! I would love to have 2 gallons of buttons!! But I wouldn't put them on a quilt. I'd make pins, trim purses, and add them to homemade greeting cards.

Your folks are a riot. I guess you can divide your buttons into little zip lock bags and use them for presents and raffle prizes - for many years to come.

You can make all sorts of things with buttons. I must find you a craft book.

I just rec'd a quilt for a gift that has gorgeous flowers w/button centers. I'm using it as a table cover. If I can figure it out, I'll post a pic tomorrow.

I could lock myself into a closet with a box of buttons and not come out for a week! It's like some kind of drug addiction that keeps you in a trance-like state, a Zen experience. I remember playing with my grandma's big fruitcake box full of all kinds of beautiful and unusual buttons of all shapes and colors and materials, it was heaven. Have no idea what she did with them. If I go to an antique show I cannot be allowed near a button vendor, I would spend 8 hours just looking at buttons!

Don't look at me. I gave 95% of my inherited button stash away here on the forum some time ago and never looked back. I'm hoping the ladies did some wonderful projects with them.

Aren't auctions the best?

Sew 'em right on there! Here's a $3500 buck button quilt from the 1920's that came from a family up the road from me, apparently. (I just googled button quilt and it came up.) You could do all kinds of stuff if you sort out colors and use buttons instead of pieces to define the pattern.

Here is a link that might be useful: Button quilt

Beverly, I think it's great your parents are able to get out and about. They've earned it!

My grandkids loved looking through my button tin.....and I did, too! I can remember mom never throwing something away without cutting off the buttons first.

Dian57, I used some of the buttons on the kitchen towels with potholders for hangers for Christmas gifts....they were perfect! Thank you, again!

SharonG/FL

Patsy, that gives me ideas for flower pots and bird baths for the grands to make, thanks. Hopefully they can go on one of my seasonal wall hangings.

I know once I see them I'll get some ideas. Just what I need, more projects to work on. I'll post pictures when I get them.

beverly

Your post reminded me of a crazy quilt I saw a while ago called "I dropped the button box" - see link below. I really like the individual blocks and I like how she overlapped and clustered buttons rather than evenly spacing them.

Here is a link that might be useful: button crazy quilt

I saw a cute idea for buttons unrelated to sewing or quilting. Get a lighting fixture to fit in a glass bottle, fill the bottle with buttons, add a lampshade and you have a new lamp. It can also be done with those kits you can get to convert a large mason jar into a lamp. The conversion kits are usually available in hobby and hardware stores. I think it would make a nifty lamp for a sewing or craft room.

Oh Beverly! I don't know why, but there is something in me that would LOVE to have that many buttons to look through! I have no idea how I would use them, not even sure I'd have to keep them - but I would love to take a day and just sit down and look at each one of them, and sort them, and, sigh, just enjoy them. What is wrong with me! This post made me laugh because I came across an ad about a month ago for a cabinet that had narrow drawers from top to bottom, was probably as tall as a dresser, and every drawer was divided up into about 64 sections, each filled with buttons. My first thought was "I should get that! Wouldn't that be fun!" Then common sense kicked in with the question "Yeah, but what would you do with all of them?" Still, there is a part of me that would be in heaven! It must be like a grown-up version of a lego-addiction!
Karlene

Wow Lola, that is a fabulous crazy quilt! And I don't even really like them!

Lola, that would make a great wall hanging for my seasonal challenge.

Karlene, come over and I'll make some tea. We can play in the buttons and relive our childhood. There has always been something special about buttons and kids.

beverly

You could also get some glue silicone GE2 at the hardware store and a bowling ball from a thrift store if you don't already have one and glue the buttons to the ball and place in your garden,if you have one.I've done this with those 1/2 marbles and with the colored caps from bottled water.Visit Garden Junk here at GW and you'll see what i mean.
Kathi

Oh, thank you! I love tea!

While in Florida this year I saw some really cute button necklaces. Do a google search for different ideas.
Kathy G in MI

Here is a link that might be useful: Button necklace

Oh Kathy, I hope I get some like those!

beverly

I went to an auction, got carried away, (as sometimes happens in those places) and outbid another little old lady for a box of buttons. Just couldn't let her win! I didn't count them, but there was maybe a thousand or more in the box. Anyway, I took some of the most unusual, prettiest, most colorful, and glued them to a poster board and made a wall hanging for my sewing room. I arranged them by color in sections, and in rows, squares, very orderly and it turned out really nice.
I also filled a pretty shaped jar with the smaller ones and it just sits on a shelf.
Just love buttons!! But don't we all???
Murphy
Enjoy yours!

I sewed a vintage button on every square of the crazy quilt I made my G'daughter for Christmas two years ago. I inherited my Mama's button jars and tins. I already had a large collection. Love buttons.

Like everyone else, I love buttons......
In another life - I was the Notions and trim buyer for the large Fabric store where I was the manager. The owners used to buy the buildings that huge grocery stores had been in - just to give you an idea of the size of the stores - 1971-the beginning of the superstores except these stores were privately owned. Back to buttons. I was the "buyer" for 5 stores - Buttons were my favorite- sitting down with Mfr reps & picking out individual styles & lines of buttons~I was in heaven, but too young to recognize it ~LOL~ So yes, I love buttons......

Recently, I saw watch bands made of buttons - they were beautiful. Good-fun activity for kids - small and quick project. Enjoy your button stash - great purchase your parents made :)

OMG, that crazy quilt is spectacular.
I could look at it for hours, & I did, LOL!
I'd love to see it in person.
I don't think I could even create one little block!
I love buttons. I do like to see them sorted by color &
displayed in glass jars of different sizes.
I love new buttons too, there are so many now.
We actually have a button store here in Portland.
Jill

You could bring them to retreat and get lots of help sorting. I love to play with buttons, I can remember doing so with my grandmothers button jar (which I now own :)) And I also am usually the high bidder at auctions for buttons. I even bought a whole sewing machine in the cabinet just for the buttons in the drawer. Oh well, we all have our issues. :)

Faye

They will be here soon!!

OK Faye, that means now you have to come to the retreat.

beverly