As a kid, I used to play with my grandmother’s button box every time we visited. I loved all those bright, shiny colors! Now that I’ve inherited her treasure hoard, I found a way to display these beautiful antiques on a sewing cabinet I made for my wife.
Old buttons make fascinating knobs. I turn or buy a set of wooden knobs (see Source, below) and then drill out the centers of the knobs with a Forstner bit. I finish the knob and epoxy the button into the recess. Of course, new buttons work fine, too, and are easier to buy in a complete set.