Asking YLF: How do you keep track of spare buttons? - YouLookFab Forum

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Asking YLF: How do you keep track of spare buttons?

Eliza

Veteran

I was wondering how people organize and store the spare buttons that come with their purchases, often attached in a clear pouch. I am always happy to see extras sewn into seams discretely, as they have never interfered with the function. I have a decorative box (a deeper version of shirt box dimensions) to store them and often write on the pouch with a permanent marker to ID the garment, maker, color, size and for fun, date of purchase. At least they are gathered, but they are not filed and I dread needing to dig through them to fix a favorite.

I am realizing that for my higher quality things especially, I would like a system. Perhaps separating out coat, jacket and blazer buttons in particular. Any ideas?

General

21 replies

Latest reply was from Mander

unfrumped

Veteran

I used to keep them in boxes but they escape and get all over.

Now I use a 5x8 ring binder with pages that I think are actually dividers-- sort of stiff. Since most of the spare buttons come in tiny bags or envelopes, I just staple the whole thing to the page. I write the garment name on or under the pouch. I'm supposed to have a system of using certain pages for tops, bottoms etc, but oh well. The most important thing is to just get 'er done, which I found makes me feel vurtuous even if I never need the button -- it bothers me to throw them away or to have them in a jumble. I keep the binder, pen & stapler together on a shelf in the BR. At times I'll remove ones if I've tossed the garment.

Anonymous

My button system is similar to Unfrumped's. When my boys left home they left behind a binder full of plastic pages with pockets to hold collector cards like baseball cards (only they played Magic). The binder now holds spare buttons with sections for shirt buttons, Pant buttons, etc. I try to include the garment tag too. If I have time, I sew the extra buttons inside the garment they came with on the seam allowance or someplace where they won't get in the way.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a fantastic question.

I'm a pretty organized person as a rule, but I confess I have had no system whatsoever, except to throw them all in a drawer! I am inspired to do something now. The truth is, I rarely need the buttons or extra thread that sometimes come with an item, but then again, the one item that lacks that button is the one I need it for!!

ClaraT

Veteran

I have a tin (with a top) that holds all spare buttons. We don't have all that many, and it has worked so far (10+ years!)

Unfrumped: I'm impressed!

Diana

Veteran

I put all my spare and orphan buttons in a tin. The little hanks of repair thread/yarn go in there too in the little baggies that came in. I'm not particularly fussed about keeping track of what garment goes with what button, as it's usually easy enough to match to the rest of the buttons.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have a couple of cigar boxes that hold all kinds of spare buttons.

FlorenceFearne

I actually found a great solution for this - slide organizers! I linked one on etsy identical to the one I have. I just staple the garment tag, and the little baggie with the button/spare thread to a 2"x2" piece of card stock, and put it in the slot. Then I can go through it like a card catalog to find what I need. I used a bunch of different colors of card stock, creating a kind of gradient effect. It's super organized, and pretty.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96.....ganizer-by

Eliza

Veteran

Unfrumped and Joy- That binder idea is brilliant. Once it is set up, it would be user friendly and very efficient.

Clara - that system is close to mine, though the volume of buttons is currently overwhelming me. I don't need to find buttons often, but it could make a difference when a special item is involved.

Suz- a simpler system used to work for me, but I lost weight 4 years ago and had to acquire a completely new wardrobe, with lots of additions (and purges) in the interim. Those buttons have been multiplying!

It is occurring to me that if you have a binder, you could color code sections (tops, pants, jackets, coats, evening) and if you filed a button for an item, dot the garment care label in the appropriate color. Then you would be able to remove it when the item leaves your wardrobe.

FlorenceFearne- great idea. That is efficient also. I like this re-purpose a lot.

Thanks for sharing all these great ideas.

T-Rex

Veteran

I put my spare buttons into a clear canister style jar, and I display it on my dresser along with my jewelry boxes and hat stands. My grandmother always kept spare buttons in jars, so I think keeping them this way appeals to me because it reminds me of being in her house when I was young. I take them out of the little plastic bags first, unless the buttons look like they might damage easily. The delicate looking buttons remain in the bags, and those go into one of my jewelry boxes. If I end up needing to replace a button, I just sift through the jar until I find a match.

BTW, if the little plastic bags are the kind that reseal, and if they are still in good condition (no large holes from staples, etc.), then I reuse those to protect and store small jewelry items inside of my jewelry boxes. It keeps pairs of small earrings together, and keeps brooches from scratching each other.

If you happen to have buttons left over from clothing that you no longer own, and you don't find keeping jars of random buttons sitting around as charming as I apparently do, then consider giving them to a crafter you may know. My cousins make jewelry with leftover buttons. I spent an hour or so sorting old buttons by color and style with them at our last family gathering, and found it incredibly soothing for some reason. I took great pleasure in grouping together old buttons that complemented each other.

If I happen to have a garment that I need to purge, but which isn't up to snuff for donation, I always check to see if the buttons are worth salvaging. If they are, I snip them off before discarding the garment.

Eliza

Veteran

Thanks, T-Rex. You have packed a lot of solutions into your response.

I especially appreciate you reminding me that buttons can have a bit of nostalgia associated with them. They do make an attractive display. I remember the special containers my mother and grandmother stored them in also, and how much fun it was to sift through them. Older buttons are often beautiful and were made of such interesting materials.

Those little zipper cases are great for jewelry. The big box craft stores near here also sell them and like you, I use them often.

Great idea to pass buttons on to crafters, who can make something of them, even if the garment has been where it is going. I don't always think of this.

Your dresser top sounds wonderful!

rachylou

Veteran

Oh, it's a complete disaster. I do have them all corralled in Sterlite shoe bins. I'm up to two now. But I have to dig thru them to find the right buttons. My mending mile is tall.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I have a shallow desk drawer I toss them into. I hope I never lose a button, because I'm going to be digging around that drawer for a very long time!

cloud9

Veteran

I use a Christmas cookie/candy tin, so nice and snug lid. Now that you got me thinking, wouldn't the best way be to actually sew the spare button onto the garment? I'm probably too lazy for this...;)

Aida

Veteran

Not super organized about it here, I just have them all in a ziplock bag. Oh, and hubby's extra buttons are in there too. 0:}

Cindy

Mine just get tossed into a carved wooden trinket box on my dresser.

Eliza

Veteran

I appreciate all the replies. It is reassuring that I am not the only one with a disorganized container. High 5 to my "throw them all in one place" comrades!

Cloud 9- I wish I had been sewing them in all along. One at a time, there may be hope for me. Perhaps my standard will be to do it for coats, jackets, blazers and items where the buttons really matter to me.

I may try to sort out my box a little, isolating buttons that obviously go to special items.

I do think the slide files and notebooks with pockets would work very well. Like most organizational tools, you have choose by what you will actually do. I think I need to face the box and decide what makes sense. This conversation is driven in part by how poorly some buttons are attached (including to higher end products) lately. Love learning from all and thanks for your input.

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Another 'disaster' here - I just throw them into a drawer and hope I never need them.

Can't sew to save my life, and have taken stuff to the drycleaners to have buttons put in. Pretty bad, eh?

ManidipaM

Veteran

Similar to unfrumped, I staple the button packet or card to a photo or drawing of the garment that then goes in a tin. The binder is step beyond me.

abc

Veteran

I try to throw them in the same general area, haha, but you guys are making me feel really organizationally challenged! I love some of the ideas on this thread. Maybe someday I will get around to organizing mine.

A related question: how often do you actually find you need to use a spare button? I rarely do, I guess that is why my lack of organization isn't driving me nuts or causing me any heartburn.

deb

Veteran

I am a button collector. I just love buttons. My grandmother had huge old pickle jars full of buttons and I would spend hours looking at the different types and colors. I even have books on them. Anyway, I store mine in the clear plastic drawer organizers that you find at the hardware stores. The ones for screws and such. They are organized by color and size. My kids used to play bank with a large drawer of shirt buttons, I was the banker and they made deposits and withdrawals and had to keep track of their balances. Now my grandkids play with them.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I just put them in an empty jar and keep them with the other sewing stuff, and tend to dump the jar out on the counter when I need to find one. Most of my clothes either have very unique buttons that are easy to spot or very generic buttons that are easy to match. I sometimes save buttons (and zippers) from old clothes that are destined for the rag pile -- it can be useful to have a whole set of matching buttons.

My Mom has a big vintage biscuit tin full of buttons from all kinds of places. I think she might have actually inherited it from her grandmother, so some of the buttons are quite old. I used to enjoy looking at the old ones when I was hunting for a button for a more utilitarian purpose.