Tips for saving money on buttons from the ThriftyFun community. Post your ideas.
To save money when I need to replace buttons, I go to our Goodwill bargain room and search for a garment with the same size and type button as the ones I need instead of buying them at a regular store which can be expensive. Most items in the bargain room are only 50 cents. I also look for items with pretty, cute or unique buttons, no matter what the garment itself looks like. These can be used to make a suit or dress or top you already own look fresh and new just by changing the buttons.By Diane
By ThriftyFun
This post brings back memories of my mother who would never retire a piece of clothing to the "rag bag" without first removing the buttons. She always had an endless supply of buttons. I can remember as a child, it was such fun for me to "sew" together the matching buttons from a garment after it had seen its better days.
By Ruthie
Like my mother before me, I have a button box and a button jar. I put stray buttons in it and take buttons off clothing I trash. One could almost buy a thrift shop piece for the buttons! I saw a jacket with fabulous ones and I kick myself that I left it behind, as those buttons on it cost something like $10 each!
By pam munro
Have you priced patterns recently? Unless on sale, they can cost over $10.00 plus. When in the thrift stores, look for an item: dress, blouse, skirt that appeals to you and use that as your pattern for a new garment.
By Sewingmamma
Two ideas:
You can dye plastic buttons, as long as they're white or quite light in color. Use a small glass container. Start with food coloring, mixing colors to get just the right hue. Add some vinegar and warm water (just as you would for Easter eggs) and put your buttons in. Leave the buttons in until the right shade is achieved - this will likely take several hours or longer. Let them dry and sew them on. The color may wash out slightly in the washing machine, but you can recolor if that is much of a problem. I came up with this when I couldn't find the proper color of buttons for a dress, despite checking numerous fabric stores!
You can make buttons from polymer clay. They can also be painted, if desired. These are wonderful for crocheted or knitted items and "crafty looking" clothes, purses, etc. It's easiest when you need fairly large buttons and just a few of them!
By Liz
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I always ask at yard sales if they have any buttons. Most people don't think to try and sell their old buttons, but when I ask, those who have a "button Collection"will go inside and bring it out for me to buy.
You can also upgrade plastic buttons on the garment by just painting them over with nailpolish. I pearlized some buttons on a dress that way.
My sister, who is now in her 80s, gave me some buttons she had had since she got married in 1941. There were some of the tiny little pearl buttons less tha a quarter inch in diameter. I took some of these and used them for the center of a flower on a dress for my grand daughter. I made the petals with a ribbon embroidery lazy daisy stitch and did the leaves and stems with other stitches also with ribbon.
I never throw out an extremely worn garment (or make it into rags or patches for crafts) without removing all buttons. I have even reused zippers!
You can also go to antique shops or any thrift shops, sometimes I've seen mason jars FULL of buttons for only $1 or $2 each! I think one a long time ago at an antique store was like .50cents for a large mason jar full!!
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