Button, Button...Who's Got the Button?
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Never in the history of the world has there been anything as beautiful yet practical as buttons. Sure, they keep our clothes on us, but they add beauty and character in a way no zipper or snap can. There are literally millions of different kinds of buttons to be found from different times and different places.
Fancy Fastenings
As a matter of fact, according to button collector Joyce McGrath (she is also president of the Dayton chapter of the National Button Society), in centuries past, buttons were more like jewelry. Men especially had a fondness for these embellishments. The types of buttons you had on your coat were a direct reflection on how important, affluent or wealthy you were. Some of these buttons had real diamonds or other precious gems imbedded in them. Walking into a room full of people, the more you sparkled, the more important you were.
Buttons can also be practical. Joyce has in her collection two buttons form WWII. One was a locket, where soldiers could secretly hide pictures of their loved one, literally having them over their hearts as they entered battle. She also has a compass button, worn by pilots who may have to hastily exit a plane and need to know which way to go once they landed.
Buttons from different periods can also be mini masterpieces. Some are carved, molded or painted with intricate and beautiful designs.
Pieces of the Past and Present
People from all over the world have been using the materials at their disposal to create buttons since the dawn of man. Kym Milburn, owner of “As Cute as a Button,” an online store specializing in buttons of all kinds, comments that even today, when we have so much at our disposal so quickly, there are still unique and wonderful modern masterpieces being created. She herself carries gorgeous glass pieces from Czechoslovakia—each one hand poured in one-of-a-kind antique molds.
There are also buttons carved from animal bones or antlers from Africa, or nut shells from the Brazilian rainforest. It is truly amazing. Joyce adds that these modern buttons will someday represent our history, just as the buttons she keeps give insight into the history of others. “It’s always amazing to find out more about a button, and realize where it existed in the history of mankind. They all have meaning. I have learned so much about the past by collecting buttons in the present.”
Projects Both Practical and Fun
While there are hundreds of thousands of different types of vintage and historical buttons to be found, you can also use buttons in the present. Kym suggests using buttons to update your wardrobe and change the look without spending too much money. You can make it chic or simple, and even fun.
Her favorite button on her website is a cute little bumblebee button. “I love his smile. It makes me want to laugh.” Something like that would be perfect to add some charm to a child’s outfit, or even turn it into a hairpiece to compliment with color.
Some of Kym’s clients include interior designers looking for that perfect embellishment to a pillow or other decoration. “It makes the perfect finishing touch. I had someone designing a nautical themed room who ordered silver anchors and sailboats to put on pillows. It just adds that certain something.”
Buttons are very versatile, and can be used in a variety of ways. You are only limited by your imagination, since materials, colors and styles are virtually endless in the button world.
Check out some of these ideas!
From BHG.com:
