In honor of National Button week March 13-19, 2023 I thought that I would share a few of my favorite buttons, and buttons, and lots and lots of buttons. Today, I want to share a few pieces from my collection of novelty buttons. Sometimes these types of buttons are referred to as realistics or goofies.

Realistic buttons were designed to look like the actual shape of the item, and have been around since the 18th century. The first two examples above were probably made during the 1940’s. The last card would be considered as a novelty button, as it is not depicting a specific shape, but I think that they are fun!

Realistic, goofie and novelty buttons, can be found made from a variety of materials such as glass, celluloid, wood, Bakelite, and other materials.

Fruit shapes seemed to be very popular. The artist Marion Weeber Welsh specialized in designing celluloid buttons that resembled fruits and vegetables as well as other imagery.

Often buttons came in a grouping of similar images, such as the first card with the green accessory shaped buttons. I had to search to collect all of the same buttons in red, as seen in the second card. As you can see from the last card apparently the set was also available in white, navy, and crimson. I included the umbrella, just because it should be shown, no idea what group it might have been a part of!

Recommended Reading

• Button, Button, Who’s got the Button? 101 Games by Hajo Bucken
• How to Sew a Button, And Other Nifty Things your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried
• Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun by Amy Barickman

Hope that you enjoyed looking! Happy stitching! ~Christen