If you've ever struggled to find just the right button for your sewing project, here's a wonderful solution: making your own fabric-covered buttons. This opens up so many more options than you'll find on the button rack at the store - you'll always be able to find the perfect match!
This tutorial explains two ways to make fabric covered buttons: with a kit and hand-sewn without a kit.
Once you understand the basic technique, you can experiment with many creative options for making buttons, all while using the tiniest scraps of fabric, perfectly coordinated for your project.
Materials for making covered buttons with a kit
- a store-bought button kit
- scrap fabric
- paper or cardstock
- pencil
- scissors
Materials for making hand-sewn covered buttons
- buttons to cover (this is a lovely way to repurpose odd buttons)
- scrap fabric
- paper or cardstock
- pencil
- compass for making a template (optional, but very handy)
- heavy-duty thread and hand-sewing needle
- optional: a bit of batting or stuffing to make a padded or domed button
How to make fabric covered buttons with a kit
Using a kit is a quick way to produce buttons of consistent size and shape, with a shank that can be sewn to a garment. There is no extra finishing on the back of the button - everything is neat and contained.
Generally speaking, if you are making small buttons, lighter fabrics will be much easier to work with. Heavier fabrics are best used with larger buttons.
1. The back of the button kit package usually includes circular templates that show how big to cut the fabric for different button sizes. Trace the button size onto a piece of cardstock. The template should be twice the diameter of the button.
Use the template to cut out a fabric circle. Tip: if you'd like to be able to centre your button over a specific part of your fabric, cut a "window" in the template that is the exact size of the button.
2. Centre the button on top of the fabric circle. A dab of glue can help hold it in place - I just use a regular glue stick.
3. Pop the fabric-wrapped button top into the button holder, if your kit comes with one. Fold the fabric neatly into the centre of the button. Some kits have little "teeth" for the fabric to grab onto, while others do not. Push the fabric inside, distributing the gathers neatly.
4. Place the back of the button onto the gathered up fabric, ensuring the fabric gathers are neatly contained, and use the tool that comes with the kit (if applicable) to push on the back of the button. Sometimes they go together easily (you'll feel a little "pop" as the button back fits into place) and sometimes they're not so easy. If it doesn't go on nicely, I give the top of the pressing tool a gentle tap with a hammer.
Pop out the button and it's ready to use!
This button features one of the miniature motifs from the Woodland Alphabet embroidery pattern.
How to make hand-sewn fabric covered buttons (no kit)
Making hand-sewn, covered buttons is a time-honoured method that produces buttons that don't have a metal shank. However, they can still be used as fully functional garment buttons using a technique that creates a wrapped thread shank. Here, we'll demonstrate how to cover buttons by hand, and how to attach them to a garment. If the button is intended for decorative purposes, it can be sewn on directly, without the thread shank.
It is possible to cover many kinds of store-bought buttons, including those that already have a shank. If you're covering a button that has an indentation on one side, use that as the back of the button - the gathered fabric will sit in it nicely, creating a flatter back for the button.
1. Create a template that is twice the diameter of the button. Trace around the button on paper or cardstock, then double the size. If you have a compass, measure across the button with the compass, then place a leg of the compass in the centre of the circle and draw around. This will create a template that is twice the diameter of the original button.
You may want to cut out a button-sized "window" so you can centre the template over a particular part of your fabric.
2. Cut out a circle of fabric.
3. Using heavy-duty thread, hand stitch around the outside of the fabric circle using running stitch, leaving long tails on either end. Smaller stitches will result in neater fabric gathers on the back of the button.
4. Place the button in the centre of the fabric circle and pull the thread tails to tighten the fabric around the button. Remember, if the button has an indentation, that side will be the back of the button.
5. Pull the thread tight and knot the tails securely.
6. Using heavy-duty thread, sew back and forth across the gap in the centre back of the button, pulling the threads tight to secure the fabric in place. Knot the thread, bury the tail inside the button, and trim.
If you're making a decorative button that won't get much use, you can stop at this point and sew the button directly in place, using short stitches around the back side of the button to secure it. If you're creating a functional button, we recommend continuing with the steps below to finish the back of the button so that it's neater and more durable.
7. Cut a circle the same size as the button from lightweight fabric - here, we're using cotton lawn because it's thin and won't add too much extra bulk.
8. Folding over the edge of the button-backing fabric as you go to enclose the raw edge, stitch the backing in place with a ladder stitch, or similar finishing stitch.
Below is the button with the backing stitched on. Note that some people glue a backing on the button, however we generally find sewing it in place to be more durable for functional buttons.
Voilà - a beautiful covered button! Continue with the steps below to learn how to sew it to a garment.
9. Stitch the button in place with a few stitches, but don't pull the stitches completely tight - we want to leave some space to accommodate the thickness of the fabric when the button is done up. Keep in mind the thickness of the finished garment when determining the shank length. For example, a wool coat would require a longer button shank than a cotton poplin shirt.
10. Wrap the thread around the stitches a few times to create the thread shank, then knot and trim the thread.
A beautiful, functional covered button!
Have fun experimenting with covered buttons for your sewing projects. Choose coordinating or contrast fabric, feature a fun print, or display miniature embroidery motifs. There is so much creative scope for making fancy, unique buttons!
Read more Twig + Tale sewing tutorials here:
- How to sew a toile/muslin - what it is and why it's important
- What is interfacing? Types, uses, and how to choose
-
Finishing seams: an overview of techniques
- How to take your measurements
