The Transforming Power of a Button Store

Have you ever visited a button store? These are shops devoted exclusively to buttons and other related items. The selection at many of these button stores is overwhelming with buttons made from a variety of materials from every corner of the world. Button stores are usually found in large cities such as New York and Chicago, although occasionally youll find one in a smaller metropolitan area. If youre touring a city on your next vacation, check the yellow pages and see if theres a button store nearby and pay them a visit. Youll be glad you did.

When you walk into a button store, prepare to be overwhelmed by the selection. Youll be greeted by a stunning array of buttons in as many colors, shapes, and materials as you can possibly imagine. Youll feel your mind and body relax as the shapes and hues of the buttons both entice and calm you. Theres something mesmerizing about being in the presence of so many gorgeous buttons.

Some button stores carry a selection of vintage buttons. You cant help but be in awe of the beauty of these buttons from yesteryear and wonder what story they have to tell, whose jacket they may have held closed or blouse they may have decorated. A button must have been made no later than 1918 to be considered vintage, although there are many more recently produced buttons that are considered collectible due to their rarity or some distinctive characteristics they may have.

Yes, buttons are beautiful but what can you do with them? If youre a seamstress, you can envision the possibilities of incorporating buttons from a button store into your latest garment designs. Unusual buttons can take an ordinary clothing design and turn it into something truly special. If youre a quilter, unique buttons can become part of your quilt designs to give a true one-of-a-kind, mixed media quilt creation .Some other ways buttons can be used are to decorate wreaths, boxes, picture frames, napkin rings, a Christmas stocking, among others.

Interesting enough, a man exists whos so fascinated with buttons that he completely covered a hearse from fender to bumper with unique buttons. Inside lies his coffin completely covered in, you guessed it, buttons! When asked, he gleefully proclaims he wants to be carried out of this world in his buttoned treasures. Such is the power of buttons.

So, the next time you pass a button store, dont be so quick to pass it by. Step inside and you may discover youve been bitten by the button bug.