diff --git a/mayavi/mlab.py b/mayavi/mlab.py
index 43e99b4d6..3d4d3755e 100644
--- a/mayavi/mlab.py
+++ b/mayavi/mlab.py
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ def show_engine():
 
 from .tools.notebook import init as init_notebook
 
+from .tools.widgets import slider_widget, button_widget
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     import numpy as np
 
diff --git a/mayavi/sources/widget_source.py b/mayavi/sources/widget_source.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5b71669d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mayavi/sources/widget_source.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+from mayavi.core.source import Source
+
+
+class WidgetSource(Source):
+    ##############################################
+    # 'Pipeline Interface'#
+    ##############################################
+    def add_actors(self):
+        """Adds `self.widgets` to the scene.
+        """
+        if not self._actors_added:
+            self._update()
+            self._actors_added = True
+            if not self.visible:
+                self._visible_changed(self.visible)
+            self.scene.render()
+
+    def remove_actors(self):
+        """Removes `self.widgets` from the scene.
+        """
+        if self._actors_added:
+            self.scene.remove_widgets(self.widgets)
+            self._actors_added = False
+            self.scene.render()
+
+    ######################################################################
+    # Non-public interface
+    ######################################################################
+
+    def _update(self):
+        if self.scene is None:
+            return
+
+    def _scene_changed(self, old, new):
+        if self._actors_added:
+            old.remove_wdigets(self.widgets)
+            self._update()
+
+    def _actors_changed(self, old, new):
+        if self._actors_added:
+            self.scene.remove_widgets(old)
+            # The widgets are added automatically when the importer
+            # does a read.
+            self.scene.render()
+
+    def _actors_items_changed(self, list_event):
+        if self._actors_added:
+            self.scene.remove_widgets(list_event.removed)
+            # The widgets are added automatically when the importer
+            # does a read.
+            self.scene.render()
diff --git a/mayavi/tools/widgets.py b/mayavi/tools/widgets.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9600d19d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mayavi/tools/widgets.py
@@ -0,0 +1,273 @@
+from tvtk.api import tvtk
+from .tools import gcf
+from mayavi.sources.widget_source import WidgetSource
+from traits.api import RGBColor, Str, on_trait_change, Array, Float, Int, File, Bool
+from traitsui.api import ArrayEditor
+from traitsui.api import Group, View, Item
+
+
+class SliderWidget(WidgetSource):
+
+    title_color = RGBColor
+    title_text = Str
+    minimum_value = Float
+    maximum_value = Float
+    position_1 = Array(dtype="float64", shape=(3, ), editor=ArrayEditor(),
+                       desc="x, y, z coordinates of the bottom left point")
+    position_2 = Array(dtype="float64", shape=(3, ), editor=ArrayEditor(),
+                       desc="x, y, z coordinates of the top right point")
+
+    slider_color = RGBColor
+    slider_color_2 = RGBColor(desc="color of the slider when it's picked")
+
+    cap_color = RGBColor
+    cap_opacity = Float
+
+    tube_color = RGBColor
+    tube_opacity = Float
+
+    label_color = RGBColor
+
+    slider_rep = tvtk.SliderRepresentation2D()
+    slider_widget = tvtk.SliderWidget()
+    title = slider_rep._get_title_property()
+    label = slider_rep._get_label_property()
+    slider = slider_rep._get_slider_property()
+    cap = slider_rep._get_cap_property()
+    tube = slider_rep._get_tube_property()
+    point1 = slider_rep._get_point1_coordinate()
+    point2 = slider_rep._get_point2_coordinate()
+
+    traits_view = View(Group(Item(name="title_color"),
+                             Item(name="title_text"),
+                             Item(name="position_1"),
+                             Item(name="position_2"),
+                             Item(name="minimum_value"),
+                             Item(name="maximum_value"),
+                             Item(name="slider_color"),
+                             Item(name="slider_color_2"),
+                             Item(name="cap_color"),
+                             Item(name="cap_opacity"),
+                             Item(name="tube_color"),
+                             Item(name="tube_opacity"),
+                             Item(name="label_color"),
+                             label="Properties")
+                       )
+
+    def get_value(self):
+        return self.slider_widget._get_representation().value
+
+    @on_trait_change('position+')
+    def _position_config(self):
+        self.point1.value = self.position_1
+        self.point2.value = self.position_2
+
+    @on_trait_change("minimum_value, maximum_value")
+    def _value_config(self):
+        self.slider_rep.minimum_value = self.minimum_value
+        self.slider_rep.maximum_value = self.maximum_value
+
+    @on_trait_change('title+')
+    def _title_config(self):
+        color = self.title_color
+        self.title.color = (color if color is not "white" else (1, 1, 1))
+        self.slider_rep.title_text = self.title_text
+        self.title.shadow = 0
+
+    @on_trait_change('slider+')
+    def _slider_config(self):
+        color = self.slider_color_2
+        self.slider.color = self.slider_color
+        self.slider_rep._get_selected_property().color = \
+            (color if color is not "white" else (1, 1, 1))
+
+    @on_trait_change("cap+")
+    def cap_setup(self):
+        self.cap.color = self.cap_color
+        self.cap.opacity = self.cap_opacity
+
+    @on_trait_change("tube+")
+    def tube_setup(self):
+        self.tube.color = self.tube_color
+        self.tube.opacity = self.tube_opacity
+
+    @on_trait_change("label+")
+    def label_setup(self):
+        self.label.color = self.label_color
+
+    def _widget_setup(self, figure):
+        self.slider_widget.set(interactor=figure().scene.interactor)
+        self.slider_widget.set(representation=self.slider_rep)
+        self.slider_widget.animation_mode = "animate"
+        self.slider_widget.enabled = 1
+        self.default_slider()
+
+    def default_slider(self):
+        self.title_text = "Slider"
+        self.title_color = (0, 0, 0)
+        self.point1.coordinate_system = "normalized_display"
+        self.point2.coordinate_system = "normalized_display"
+        self.position_1 = (0.8, 0.9, 0)
+        self.position_2 = (1, 0.9, 0)
+        self.minimum_value = 0
+        self.maximum_value = 1
+        self.slider_rep.value = self.minimum_value
+        self.slider_color = (0.3, 0.2, 0.9)
+        self.slider_color_2 = (1, 0, 0)
+        self.cap_color = (0, 0, 0)
+        self.cap_opacity = 0
+        self.tube_color = (0, 0, 0)
+        self.tube_opacity = 1
+        self.label_color = (1, 1, 1)
+        self.label.shadow = 0
+
+    def add_callback(self, callback):
+        self.slider_widget.add_observer("InteractionEvent", callback)
+
+    def _update(self):
+        if self.scene is None:
+            return
+        self.widgets = [self.slider_widget]
+
+    def _visible_changed(self, value):
+        if value:
+            if not self._actors_added:
+                self.scene.add_widgets(self.widgets)
+                self._actors_added = True
+        super(SliderWidget, self)._visible_changed(value)
+
+
+class ButtonWidget(WidgetSource):
+
+    button_rep = tvtk.TexturedButtonRepresentation2D()
+    button_widget = tvtk.ButtonWidget()
+    text_image = tvtk.ImageData()
+
+    file_location = File(exists=True)
+    position = Array(dtype="float64", shape=(6,), editor=ArrayEditor(),
+                     desc="position as xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax, zmin, zmax")
+
+    add_image = Bool
+    text_color = RGBColor
+    text = Str
+    text_font_size = Int
+
+    box_group = Group(
+        Item(name="add_image"),
+        Item(name="position")
+                     )
+
+    text_group = Group(
+        Item(name="text"),
+        Item(name="text_color"),
+        Item(name="text_font_size"),
+        enabled_when="add_image is False"
+                      )
+
+    image_group = Group(
+        Item(name="file_location"),
+        enabled_when="add_image is True"
+                       )
+
+    default_view = View(
+        Group(
+            box_group,
+            text_group,
+            image_group
+             )
+                        )
+
+    @on_trait_change("add_image")
+    def image_conifg(self):
+        if self.add_image == 1 and self.file_location is not "":
+            self.image()
+        if self.add_image == 0:
+            self.add_text()
+
+    @on_trait_change("file_location")
+    def image(self):
+        d = {'bmp': tvtk.BMPReader(),
+             'jpg': tvtk.JPEGReader(),
+             'png': tvtk.PNGReader(),
+             'pnm': tvtk.PNMReader(),
+             'dcm': tvtk.DICOMImageReader(),
+             'tiff': tvtk.TIFFReader(),
+             'ximg': tvtk.GESignaReader(),
+             'dem': tvtk.DEMReader(),
+             'mha': tvtk.MetaImageReader(),
+             'mhd': tvtk.MetaImageReader(),
+             }
+        reader = d[self.file_location[-3:]]
+        reader.set(file_name=self.file_location)
+        reader.update()
+        image = tvtk.ImageData()
+        image = reader._get_output()
+        self.button_rep.set_button_texture(0, image)
+
+    @on_trait_change("text+")
+    def add_text(self):
+        free_type = tvtk.FreeTypeStringToImage()
+        text_property = tvtk.TextProperty()
+        color = self.text_color
+        text_property.color = (color if color is not "white" else (1, 1, 1))
+        text_property.font_size = self.text_font_size
+        text_image = tvtk.ImageData()
+        free_type.render_string(text_property, self.text, 0, text_image)
+        self.button_rep.set_button_texture(0, text_image)
+
+    @on_trait_change("position")
+    def place_widget(self):
+        self.button_rep.place_widget(self.position)
+
+    def _widget_setup(self, figure):
+        self.button_widget.set(interactor=figure().scene.interactor)
+        self.button_widget.set(representation=self.button_rep)
+        self.button_widget.enabled = 1
+        self.default_button()
+
+    def default_button(self):
+        self.button_rep.set_number_of_states(1)
+        self.text = "Button"
+        self.text_color = (1, 1, 0)
+        self.text_font_size = 25
+        self.position = (-70, 70, -70, 70, 0, 0)
+
+    def add_callback(self, callback):
+        self.button_widget.add_observer("StateChangedEvent", callback)
+
+    def _update(self):
+        if self.scene is None:
+            return
+        self.widgets = [self.button_widget]
+
+    def _visible_changed(self, value):
+        if value:
+            if not self._actors_added:
+                self.scene.add_widgets(self.widgets)
+                self._actors_added = True
+        super(ButtonWidget, self)._visible_changed(value)
+
+    def remove_actors(self):
+        """Removes `self.widgets` from the scene.
+        """
+        if self._actors_added:
+            self.scene.remove_widgets(self.widgets)
+            self._actors_added = False
+            self.button_rep.set_button_texture(0, self.text_image)
+            self.scene.render()
+
+
+def slider_widget(figure=None):
+    if figure is None:
+        figure = gcf
+    slider = SliderWidget()
+    slider._widget_setup(figure)
+    return slider
+
+
+def button_widget(figure=None):
+    if figure is None:
+        figure = gcf
+    button = ButtonWidget()
+    button._widget_setup(figure)
+    return button