I’ve seen gadgets in stores that can staple a button in place.
Well, not a real staple, as in paperwork, but the same general idea.
Does anybody have any experience with these?
Do they work?
Work well?
Good/bad buy?
Here you go:
Buttoneer review at InfomercialRatings.com
Lots of other cool stuff there – they tell you what is utter crap and what might just work.
If you don’t mind having a nylon strap where thread should be. A sewing kit is a few bucks and learning to put on a button isn’t tough.
I guess you don’t want to hear about my Navy days when I used duct tape to hem up my bellbottom dungaree pants (they were sold unhemmed). At least it was better than my buddy who used staples. 
It can be tough for people with arthritis.
I’ve never used them, but being the lazy person I am, I have often wondered about them. If you buy it, let me know what you think of it. Honestly, unless you have arthritis or some other reason holding a needle is painful, sewing buttons on is very very simple and probably just as quick as loading a staple gun, etc. But then again, I am the loser who is pissy cuz my local Hancock Fabrics is going out of business, so you may wanna ignore me.
I had some experience with them a few years ago. I found they did a reasonable job at holding the button in place but the ‘staple’ was very obvious and didn’t match the thread on other buttons. The ‘gizmo’ I had was also limiting in the type button that could be used. For example, the holes in the button through which thread is normally inserted have to be big enough to allow the gizmo’s needle to pass through and buttons with the shank on the underside didn’t work with the gizmo at all. For many situations, I would think a needle and thread would be quicker and the finished button would look better.
I see your point, but doesn’t loading and using this gizmo take manual dexterity too?
Good point. Let me think about this.
Ok, how about this?
It’s FASTER than sewing on a button? 
Ah…less likely to draw blood than sewing on a button?
Can’t argue with either of those. I just have in mind a friend who said if he lost a button he would get a dry cleaner to fix it and barring that, he would throw out the shirt. :smack: I tried to get him to let me teach him to repair a button but no dice.
The needle on those Buttoneer things is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger than the one I use for sewing on a button. I’m just sayin’…
I’ve got a buttoneer. I hate it. It’s hit-or-miss. The doo-dads are sometimes malformed and it’s really hard to use it on heavier items.
Buttons…that’s what dry cleaners are for.