When I was growing up my mom had an old cigar box that had been her grandpa's and it was filled with buttons. I use to sneak in her sewing desk drawer and play with them. I always said that when I grew up I was going to have my own buttons. Not only do they make a DARLING decoration, they have other purposes.
1. They are a great teaching tool. My kids love to sort them. It is great for learning colors, shapes, sizes, and patterns. I teach my kids to count to one hundred with these buttons.I teach my older boys how to sew on buttons too.
2. Crafts! I can't tell you how many projects my kids and I have used these for. My favorite, which I will show in another post, is making button frames.
3. This one is my favorite. Goal setting.
We have a little meeting and talk about what reward they would like to learn. This summer the first one was a trip to the local water park. They have to earn a certain number of buttons in order to get the reward. And they all have to earn them individually. For the water park they had to earn 25 buttons, so each kid had to have 25. I have small mason jars with their names on them. If they do something good, they get a button. If they do something. . . not so good, they get one taken away. Because they all have to get 25 in order for them to get the reward, they end up helping each other out. I can't tell you how many times I have received weird looks from people in public because they hear me yell "Do you want me to take away a button!" But it works!!! I have done it off and on for about 6 years. It helps me too. You sometimes don't realize how many negative things you point out until you are keeping track. This makes you focus on the positive.
So go get some BUTTONS!!!
I love Buttons I squirl them away whenever I find one. My Great Grandma had jars and jars of them. I always thought they were pretty to look at.
I love your button jar! My Mom had (still has, probably) an old Clabber Girl Baking Powder can full of buttons. I also loved playing with it. I never realized it until I read this post, but I, too, have a button jar! I started putting the extra buttons that come in the little zip loc bags on new clothes in it so I would be able to find a replacement if I ever needed it. I think I'll go and add some ribbon to the neck of my jar and set it out on my craft shelf where I can see it. :)
I love buttons too, but am too selfish to allow my kiddos to play with them ;) I love sorting them myself. My local craft store has a big washtub filled with loose buttons, and you can stuff a small bag for $.99. I call it Button Therapy.