Buttons

Buttons are amazing little multi-taskers...for in holding two sides of an object together, they add decoration and functionality! I love buttons, antique and new, which I store in glass jars. The green jar with the bale lid holds my collection of shell buttons, some old and some new (all beloved), and the jar labeled "button ups" is full of antique buttons from long underwear. Beyond being beautiful and functional, buttons also make a great math tool for children (if old enough not to swallow), for they can be counted, added, subtracted and sorted.

Years ago I read a story about a grandmother and her button jar. Her grandchildren would choose a button and she would regale them with stories of times when the button was in use. The memories were precious to the grandmother and entertaining lessons for the children.

I love that buttons can spark memories, and wonder what stories each of my buttons could tell...stories of the scads of shoppers walking by without choosing them, of homes they visited, people they saw, adventures of children, babies first garments, family times and special occasions. The smallest jar holds my start of a collection of memories, for these buttons are the extras off of clothing I have bought. Perhaps one day I will be able to use my button jars to pass stories on to the next generation...truly delightful!