Why The Button Bar matters: The need for quality sewing and craft supplies in Adelaide

If you’re a sewist, knitter, crafter, mender, or maker in Adelaide, you’ve probably noticed how hard it’s becoming to find quality sewing supplies, speciality buttons, and expert craft advice. With big-box retailers and online stores dominating the market, many creators are left searching for something that’s becoming increasingly rare: a place where knowledge, quality, and community still matter.

This is exactly why The Button Bar Adelaide continues to play such an important role for local makers — and why preserving this iconic little shop is more essential than ever.

The Problem: A Growing Gap in Adelaide’s Sewing & Craft Market

Across Australia, traditional craft and sewing stores are disappearing. In Adelaide, customers are telling us the same thing:

• Chain stores have limited ranges and generic, mass-produced stock
• Online retailers can’t offer real guidance or a tactile shopping experience
• Specialist craft stores are becoming harder to find
• Makers struggle to source quality buttons, wool, and haberdashery

For sewists, knitters, and menders, this creates real challenges. Shopping for craft supplies isn’t just about buying a product — it’s about touching fabrics, comparing colours, checking quality, and asking someone who actually understands what you’re making.

As a result, there’s a clear gap in the market for:

• High-quality, affordable craft supplies
• Expert, personalised advice
• A community-driven store with real product knowledge
• A curated selection of buttons, wool, and haberdashery
• A tactile, in-person shopping experience

This is where The Button Bar shines.

Our Solution: A Unique, Specialist Craft Store in Adelaide Arcade

The Button Bar is proudly one of only four dedicated button stores left in Australia, making it a truly unique destination for makers. Located in the historic Adelaide Arcade, we’ve been part of the Arcade’s retail landscape for more than 75 years, attracting visitors from all over Adelaide and beyond.

What sets us apart?

✔ A carefully curated range of buttons

From vintage-style and handmade buttons to children’s buttons, novelty buttons, couture-level buttons, and practical everyday options — our range is one of the most diverse in Australia.

✔ Quality sewing and craft supplies

We stock wool, threads, ribbons, trims, haberdashery essentials, and unique items you simply won’t find in large chain stores.

✔ Expert advice and personal service

Our team actually sews, knits, mends, and crafts. We understand what makers need — and we help you choose the right materials for your project.

✔ A true destination store

Many customers travel specifically to visit Button Bar. We are a key attraction within Adelaide Arcade and a must-visit spot for tourists, locals, costume designers, and craft enthusiasts.

The Button Bar isn’t just another shop — it’s a specialist hub supporting Adelaide’s creative community.

The Button Bar & the Adelaide Arcade

Independent retailers are what give the Adelaide Arcade its charm. As one of its longest-standing stores, Button Bar plays a major role in maintaining the Arcade’s identity as a hub of unique, specialist, small businesses.

Keeping Button Bar thriving helps sustain not only the craft community, but the Arcade itself — preserving its culture, character, and economic vibrancy.

The new era of The Button Bar

Under the new ownership of Vivienne and Kelly, The Button Bar is building on its long-standing legacy with:

• Expanded product ranges
• An online store for Australia-wide access
• Workshops and community events
• A continued focus on expertise, quality, and personalised service

Our goal is simple:
To be Adelaide’s most trusted and inspiring destination for buttons, sewing supplies, and craft essentials — and a place where creativity and community can flourish.