A Good Metal Box

I did something today that I never really thought I would have to do.

I did some work on my button box.

I couldn't close it anymore and there were buttons that were starting to pile up in weird places, like the drawer with the elastics, and in one with a bunch of spare knitting markers.  That kind of disorder bugs me.  The button box picture above is the before.  I couldn't close it any more. Time to sort out the buttons.

Why so many you ask?  I like bags of assorted buttons.  There was a time  more than a few years ago, when I bought a couple bags of miscellaneous buttons from Walmart.  It was a good deal and it has taken care of my button needs for a very long time.  Most of the button sets that were found among those bags and the ones from discarded clothing had been reused and there were only odds and ends.  

Then, three or so years ago, I bought a couple bags of darker buttons, most of them wood look of one sort or others.  Those have taken me a long way too.  They feature on many sweaters and were a real treasure trove.  There were even little Mickey Mouse buttons that have decorated grandchild sweaters.  I have one wee Mickey button left.

What my over flowing button box did not have was white or light buttons.  None that were sets or that were even close enough to use on a shirt front.  I did get a few last year from Walmart but four cards of five and six buttons cost much more money than I wanted to pay for so few buttons, so I decided to try going for a little bag of 100 buttons online.  I am pretty sure that I did as well going for bags of mixed buttons as I did trying to get nice carded sets of buttons.  

This isn't all of them by any means but there are at least 14 sets of buttons here, so I think I did okay.  There were lots of small buttons for tiny garments so if anyone needs a few buttons for baby things call me.  

I also decided to cover my back and get some plain buttons too.  They are the tiniest bit larger than I hoped for but they will do.  If they look weird, I can always make a concealed button band for shirts I have to use these on.  They are only backup and I don't forsee needing them often.

I had originally planned to keep all the singles and weird buttons in one box and the sets in another but the only metal box** that I could find was too small for either of those groups.  Keith managed to find a nice large box left over from Christmas.  It was pretty large but I thought it would be okay. I ended up putting everything in one large box.  

I introduce you to my much larger button box.  If you need a button, I have it.

The old silver box has been my button box since the earliest days at our house in the woods some 30 years ago.  I am retiring it from its long  service in the sewing room.  It will go to the general craft shelves and will become the case for the fimo for miniature things.  There is always a use for a good metal box.  

And just in case you were wondering, the button box really wasn't sorted or even tidied and no buttons were harmed in this faux sorting of the button box.  All I really did was play in the buttons for a few hours and it was delightful.

**A proper button box needs to be a metal tin.  My mom's was.  My grandmother's was.  My aunt's was.  It's tradition.