Your Strategy for Spare Garment Buttons

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Angie is co-founder of YLF and its resident fashion stylist.

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Your Strategy for Spare Garment Buttons

— by Angie

on August 31, 2010

Spare buttons that are sewn into the side label or side seam of a garment are easy to store. But when they come in a little bag that’s attached to the garment, we have to detach the bag and keep the buttons in a safe place.

At the moment I store our spare garment buttons in a large zip lock bag that I keep in one of the drawers of our walk-in wardrobe. I used to store spare buttons in a pretty recycled biscuit tin, but the tin soon overflowed with buttons and I had to find a bigger container.

Enter temporary large zip lock bag. I much prefer the idea of a recycled biscuit tin so when we’ve worked through the huge tin of biscuits my brother gave us, I’ll switch to that instead.

What do you do with your spare garment buttons?

Closet Organization

57 comments · Add a comment

Laura

(website)

Veteran

I have them in a large ziploc too, in my chest of drawers. Unfortunately I have hundreds of them dating back years, and most likely I have given away those clothes! But I persist in saving them.

One thing: I fold the tag from the garment (that shows the brand, size, etc.) and put it into the tiny plastic bag that holds the buttons. That way, should I ever need it, I could figure out which button matched which garment.

August 31, 2010 at 3:28 pm

LegacyOfPearl

(website)

I do exactly that Angie! A tin can with all the buttons in the little ziplock bags they come in.

I also keep a box with multiple threads and needle in the can so I can easily use the extras if needed. No running around the house to find a needle.

August 31, 2010 at 3:29 pm

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

I have a drawstring bag hung in my closet. Like Laura, though, I have hundreds of them…I think I should probably stop keeping the generic ones and only keep ones that are very unique. It’s gotten mental at this point.

August 31, 2010 at 3:31 pm

Cricket

Good tips! I save them in a drawer for awhile, then they usually end up getting lost. Fortunately, I haven’t needed many, or my mom the seamstress usually has what I need.

August 31, 2010 at 3:37 pm

tiffany

I have a little box also – used to be a Turkish Delight tin – and I keep the buttons in the little bag they came in! I like the ones that come in a branded paper packet, so it’s easy to work out what they belong too. But I do forget to update the tin, so there are buttons that belonged to items of clothing I don’t even remember. But buttons are fun, even if they don’t have a home!

August 31, 2010 at 3:38 pm

Sparky

Veteran

Ha! I keep them in an old hinged-lid tin that used to belong to my mother, along with needles, thread and a pair of scissors. I used to throw those little envelopes with the extra buttons (and sometimes spare thread) willy nilly into the tin, but more recently started writing info about the garment on the envelope so that I can match them up when needed. I try to periodically go through them to see if some belong to clothes I no longer have. The kids love to have the extra buttons for crafts.

August 31, 2010 at 3:58 pm

Ann

I have my grandma’s button tin, which is a recycled christmas cookie tin. I love it!

August 31, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Robyn2

I save small jam jars and store my buttons in them according to colour on a shelf in my sewing cupboard. This has two advantages: (a) it’s quick to find the colour you’re looking for and (b) for the mildly obsessive person, it’s a fun filing exercise. A local providore sells jam in pretty little square jars which are extra-neat to store – not to mention the fun of eating the jam!

August 31, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Amy S.

Active Member

I take them out of their little bags and throw them in a canning jar in my closet. I like the way it looks. I’ve never had to use one a spare button – if that ever happened I expect I’d change my ways to the above labeling and ziploc strategy. In the meantime, this is what works for me…

August 31, 2010 at 4:05 pm

gina

(website)

I also keep them in a recycled cookie tin, which is also overflowing. The overflow is in a box with misc grooming items. I label the bags so I know what item they go with. Every few years (usually every time I move) I go through them and weed out the extra buttons for items that I no longer own.

August 31, 2010 at 4:08 pm

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I have a cute, mid-sized box with a sea-through lid that currently houses all my spare buttons. I keep it in a drawer so it’s not in the way but still ready-to-hand when needed. It works well for me!

August 31, 2010 at 4:17 pm

Zeynep

(website)

Haha! It’s funny you say recycled biscuit tin, because that’s exactly what I use…

It’s pretty full right now, and it sits in my bedside table, along with my little sewing kit.

August 31, 2010 at 4:21 pm

Trude

(website)

A Mason jar, just like my grandma used to do!

August 31, 2010 at 4:21 pm

shell

Active Member

I keep most of them in their little pouch and write a description of the item they came from. Then I keep the pouches in the bottom compartment of my sewing box. Gotta keep them close to the needle and thread!

August 31, 2010 at 4:22 pm

Amrita

Usually I sew them to a side seam or the hem of the garment. Got tired of digging through a button box trying to find the proper matching button.

August 31, 2010 at 4:22 pm

Patience

Veteran

I am giggling at the image of you with a “huge biscuit tin” full of buttons. I also keep my buttons in a smaller tin which was packaging for a watch. I keep buttons only– no little bags. I don’t think I’ve ever used one of the spare buttons but I like keeping them. I have needed spare buttons at times of course but those are the times, none was provided. ;p

August 31, 2010 at 4:26 pm

Carole

Me too! I have a little tin that I filled up, so moved them to a pretty hat box. I want to make something from them, but haven’t figured out what yet! Any ideas?

August 31, 2010 at 4:36 pm

bj1111

Veteran

i sense that some crafty ylf-ers will be able to make a statement necklace or bracelet from those buttons!

August 31, 2010 at 4:44 pm

blessed02

I throw them all away! I’ve never had any occasion to even go looking for one. I’m surprised so many people keep them.

August 31, 2010 at 4:51 pm

Kate

Veteran

Mine are also in a zip lock bag, near my GIANT ziplock bag (full of lots of little ziplock bags) of buttons bought on ebay.

August 31, 2010 at 4:59 pm

Dusty

(website)

Active Member

I have them in film cannisters in my button drawer in my sewing machine cabinet. Every once in a while, I’ll need one button for a project and then I’ll check to see if I still have the garment it goes with, if not, it’s a good way to whittle down the stash.

August 31, 2010 at 5:07 pm

san

I have an old Christmas tin that I use and it’s getting very full so I’ll need to find a new one soon.
There is so much similarity in how we all save our buttons and we each seem to have sentimental feelings about how we store them.

August 31, 2010 at 5:07 pm

Maya

Veteran

You must have about 20 times as many clothes as me because all my spare buttons are in a little pouch.

I like it when they are sewn to the inner label best. No chance of losing them.

August 31, 2010 at 5:25 pm

SkiDiva

Active Member

I keep mine in one of those plastic craft containers that are divided for holding embroidery floss. That way I can keep things sorted by color and it makes it easier to find one if I need it.

August 31, 2010 at 5:41 pm

Donna

Active Member

I also keep mine in a tin. It’s white with bright yellow and green flowers on it. I’ve had it for many years. I do keep all the envelopes and label them or if in plastic, I do what Laura does and keep a portion of the label to stick inside. I go through the tin periodically and transfer the buttons from clothes I no longer own and add them to my button jars in my sewing room. They are old caning jars and the buttons are divided into color groups. They look really nice all lined up on a shelf in my sewing cabinet.

August 31, 2010 at 5:53 pm

Tara

(website)

Veteran

Ummm…strategy? I must confess, mine are located in random spots in messy drawers :-S

August 31, 2010 at 5:53 pm

Beth

Veteran

I keep mine in my sewing box. I just add a description on the envelopes they come in to help me find what I need.

August 31, 2010 at 6:02 pm

FiestyWife

Active Member

Mine are spread across 7 or 8 houses in 4 states. I always set them aside to keep but forget to put them somewhere safe. Then they get knocked over and lost. I always find lots when we move but then they get put in the “random” box and are never heard from again…poor little buttons.

August 31, 2010 at 6:32 pm

Kari

Veteran

I do the same thing as you – a large box with spare ribbons and thread, but I keep them in individual ziploc bags that the buttons come with (some bags are recycled from past beading purchases) because I find it a little easier to sort through that way.

I’m sure that I no longer have some of the items that the buttons belong to, so heaven knows what I’ll do with all of the unnecessary buttons someday.

August 31, 2010 at 7:12 pm

taylor

Veteran

I love this post!!
I save buttons like a crazy woman. My granddaughter loved to play with them , sort them by color and size. I have tons of buttons and save them all from my purchases.

I just lost a button on my new trench while on vacation earlier this week and didn’t worry at all…had the extra button at home:)

August 31, 2010 at 7:50 pm

Mae

Active Member

Mine are stored in a too-small tin that’s currently overflowing and unmanageable. No good ideas here. I have a million buttons from every piece of clothing I have ever purchased, yet when I need to find the match, it’s not there.

August 31, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Tanya

Veteran

I keep mine in their original little paper bags in a pretty big cardboard box. The trouble is that a lot. I used to put little stickies on them with descriptions but it quickly became too much work.

August 31, 2010 at 8:09 pm

shana

Veteran

I used to have them nicely organized in a small plastic bin and honestly, the bin filled up and now they are all over the place. The funny thing is that I don’t know if I’ve EVER replaced a button on a clothing item. I’m more likely to just let it languish in a laundry pile and get rid of it eventually! I used to save the little plastic bag as well as the tag and write a small description of them item but it become too cumbersome at some point. I like the idea of just keeping the buttons in a glass jar for display. Maybe I’ll get crafty one day and do something with all of them (along with my enormous collection of wine corks that I’m going to one day make into a cork board!).

August 31, 2010 at 8:20 pm

Frances

Active Member

This is too funny! My mother always kept them in a fruit cake tin and I kept mine in a smaller candy tin in my bureau–until recently, that is, when they overwhelmed the candy tin and had to be transferred to a Ziploc bag!

August 31, 2010 at 8:42 pm

MsMary

Veteran

I’m with Tara — random spots in messy drawers. Which is really not a problem, because I’ve never had occasion to go looking for one.

August 31, 2010 at 9:52 pm

Scarlet

Veteran

I actually keep mine in a little booklet with pockets meant to hold business cards. Sometimes I include a note to remember what the button goes to. This works well for me, but it is not a large volume of buttons. I think the system may make it easy to get rid of the buttons from garments that I no longer have. What can I say? I am an avid filer of all things.

August 31, 2010 at 10:18 pm

Veteran

I also cut a bit of the tag and stick it in the little plastic bag to remember what garment it goes to. Most of my buttons are in a clear box in my dresser drawer. I haven’t yet lost a button, but I like the idea of keeping them.

August 31, 2010 at 11:22 pm

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

I used to love playing with my mum’s jar of buttons and now my 4yo DD likes playing with my box of buttons (the box came with some smart toiletries in – a shame to throw it away). Like my mother I try to avoid her playing too often with them as she needs supervision so they don’t go all over the place! So I keep all the buttons but am not so good at sewing on the ones that come off.

I think it’s cheating to put a label from the garment in with them, though. Surely part of the fun is that sense of frustration that ‘I know it must be here somewhere’!

September 1, 2010 at 1:26 am

Eternal*Voyageur @ Venusian*Glow

(website)

THIS is probably the best way to organise them: use a business card organiser.

http://www.marthastewart.com/g.....fix-it-kit

September 1, 2010 at 2:00 am

Katiepea

(website)

Veteran

I have recycled a see through plastic jar (it once held fruit) to store my buttons. This jar is kept up high on a shelf in the laundry. I learnt to store this special jar out of sight and out of reach of my children after I discovered that they had raided it one day for “really fun craft activities mummy!” (ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!)

September 1, 2010 at 2:02 am

Queen Mum

Veteran

at this point they are all thrown in a drawer that I keep jewelry in. Yep, just tossed in there. I think I know what needs to be added to my chore list today. I really like Laura’s idea to stick a tag in the little baggie.
hmm, maybe I’ll go shopping for a pretty jar today…..

September 1, 2010 at 5:47 am

Barbara

Veteran

How timely! I just spent part of a very hot Sunday afternoon sorting through my spare buttons. Whenever I buy a new garment that has spare buttons, I take a Polaroid photo (I have a vintage camera) of the item. Then I glue the photo, receipt, garment tag and extra button still in its mini zip-lock bag on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock which is hole-punched and put into one large binder which is divided by garment type. Some items come with extra sequins, yarn or beads, which are also glued on the page. My husband, a VERY organized mechanical engineer, suggested this method. If something is worn out or donated, I pull the binder and decide if I can use the extra buttons, yarn, etc. for something else creative. If not, I shred the receipt, recycle the paper and toss the rest.

September 1, 2010 at 6:00 am

Barbara

Veteran

How timely! I just spent part of a very hot Sunday afternoon sorting through my spare buttons. Whenever I buy a new garment that has spares, I take a Polaroid photo (I have a vintage camera) of the item. Then I glue the photo, receipt, garment tag and extra button still in its mini zip-lock bag on 8 1/2 x 11 card stock which is hole-punched and put into one large binder which is divided by garment type. Some items come with extra sequins, yarn or beads, which are also glued on the page. My husband, a VERY organized mechanical engineer, suggested this method. If something is worn out or donated, I pull the binder and decide if I can use the extra buttons, yarn, etc. for something else creative. If not, I shred the receipt, recycle the paper items and toss the rest.

September 1, 2010 at 6:01 am

Joy

Veteran

For my own clothing I try to sew the extra button into the side seam so that it says with the garment. For those that don’t get sewn in and most of DH’s extra buttons I’ve found my son’s abandoned plastic binder pages that held baseball cards to be perfect. I keep the buttons in plastic bags with label to give me a clue as to which garment, and pop the whole thing into one of the pockets. Sometimes several buttons will fit into a pocket. If they are not in a little plastic bag, I may need to use a bit of clear tape to keep the buttons from sliding out.
All buttons on a page are in the same color family. Extra sequins or pieces of yarn store well this way too. The pages go into a binder that is kept with other sewing stuff. It’s easy to page through to find a button quickly. If clothing is donated or discarded, the buttons get taken out of the binder and might be saved in a zip lock, especially shirt buttons. We go through lots of shirt buttons.

September 1, 2010 at 6:59 am

Lisa

Veteran

I used to keep them all. At first I would label each button with the name of the item. Soon I progressed to putting them in a ziploc bag. After a while I realized I had buttons of items I no longer own, so now I just toss them out. I don’t recall ever using any of the extra buttons. If I did need one I’d just run to a craft store and pick one up now.

September 1, 2010 at 7:10 am

summerbl4ck

Active Member

Similarly, has anyone ever used those extra bits of thread that you get with a sweater? School shopping for my oldest and I now have a pile of thread. I can’t imagine how you would use it! And it’s such a short piece that they give you!

September 1, 2010 at 7:14 am

valleycat1

I throw them all out. And that goes for the extras conveniently sewn on a tag – I’m one of those people who removes all tags from garments because they make me itch.

I realized several years ago that I never have used the extra button OR sweater thread, so why accumulate them? If you have a large tin full, how would you ever track down the specific one you need? If I should ever have something that needs a new button & that it’s worth making the effort, I’ll buy a replacement or would even replace all of them if I can’t find one that matches.

September 1, 2010 at 7:44 am

Lynne

I’m so impressed with so many organized methods. Mine started out in a tin and have since overflowed into a drawer in the bathroom where I get dressed most of the time. I’m currently on a purging kick, so I think I will throw caution to the wind and throw them all away. I can’t remember the last time I used one. New acquisitions will get the extras sewn into a seam if I can summon the discipline.

September 1, 2010 at 7:50 am

slythwolf

(website)

Mine live in the sock drawer.

September 1, 2010 at 11:00 am

Cecilia

I do keep the spares in a tin container. I have never needed a spare button. But once I was tweaking a dress and found that I needed a spare and none had been included… for a 11 button garment! I sometimes use unique buttons for scrapbook pages.

September 1, 2010 at 11:27 am

Gracey

If they are in a little bag or sewn onto a side label, I cut the label off (or remove the little bag), staple it to the garment’s tag and put it into a vintage tin. If the button is sewn into a side seam and it doesn’t bother me, I leave it. If it’s in an irritating place or makes the garment’s fit off, I remove it, tape it to the garment’s tag and toss it into the tin. I like to attach the buttons (and spare yarn) to the tag so I can easily remember which navy blue button goes to which navy blue garment.

September 1, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Sihaya

Veteran

I write down a brief description of the garment on the reverse of the price tag and then include that in the little baggie that the button comes in. Then I store it in one place in my closet (I outgrew biscuit tins too). I have so many, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find the right one if I do end up needing one. I like the idea of color coding so it at least reduces the time spent looking. I might do that on a rainy afternoon in my spare time.

September 1, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Suzan Schaefer

I slip the little plastic bag with the button in it (and any care instruction tags) over a hanger and use that hanger for the jacket or blouse or slacks. Most of the bags have a small hole in them, if not I punch one in. If there’s no bag, I use a small plastic bag or staple the care instructions to an index card. When I wear the garment I keep that hanger out until I return the garment to the hanger and then put it (and it’s plastic bag) back in the closet.

September 1, 2010 at 3:59 pm

Rachel

I have a pretty clear jar on my dresser and empty them out of the little envelopes into the jar….it’s very decorative to look at – and if I really needed a matching button, I could always give my kids the task of trying to find it…kind of like the memory game!

September 3, 2010 at 6:22 am

Debora

Veteran

I have a tupperware container that I keep in the linen closet. When the buttons come in a little white envelope, I label the envelope with the clothing item and toss them in the container as is.

September 4, 2010 at 8:37 am

Elbe

(website)

I do what Eternal*Voyageur @ Venusian*Glow described off of Martha Stewart Living. I put them in plastic sleeve protectors with multiple small pockets. I include the tags so I know what goes with what. Works for me!

September 4, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Mama T

I came here looking for a way to keep my extra buttons handy. I like Amrita’s idea best. I hate it when I know I have a matching button SOMEWHERE. I still wear the same size (not bragging but just sharing for others who want to think ahead) and going through 45 years of buttons to FIND it has led to some sadness. Still looking for that very noticeable perfect button for the front of a suit jacket! I plan to start TODAY (as I near a birthday milestone and have 10 new tops to celebrate) sewing those buttons into an inseam. It will make it nicer for when the items are given away!

April 21, 2019 at 6:05 am

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