If you are struggling to find the perfect button for your project, why not learn how to make buttons? Covered buttons are fun to make and look great on clothing, purses, hair accessories and even jewelry. Covered button kits can be purchased from most haberdashery and fabric stores or even Amazon and Ebay. Popular brands of button kits include Dritz, Birch and Hemline.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTONS
When you look at your covered button pieces you will notice there is a top and a disk (sometimes called a washer) which will be fitted to the back of the button. Most brands include a cutting guide for your fabric.
Cut out fabric circles in the sizes indicated on the kit packaging. If by some accident you have thrown the packet away then cut the fabric 1 3/4 times the diameter of the button. This should give you enough overlap at the sides without being too large.
PRO TIPS –
- Thin fabric – Double up your fabric or line it with some white cotton
- Stretch fabric – cut it a fraction smaller to account for the stretch
- Thick fabric – thicker fabric can sometimes show wrinkles on the edges of the completed button so moisten the fabric slightly water to help it stretch into shape.
Use a basic running stitch to sew around your fabric circle. Stitch close to the edge and leave a 3 inch (7.5cm) tail at each end without knotting them.
Place the top of your button face down on the wrong side of the fabric circle.
Pull your threads tight to gather the fabric and secure the ends with a knot. Cut the long threads off.
Now push the back washer over the button loop until it clicks into place. Depending on the brand, there may be one side of the washer which is required to be facing down.
These Hemline brand buttons just required a firm push. Some other brands will include a tool for pushing the back into place. Many years ago when I first started sewing, most brands required you to push down the back with a cotton reel.
And there you are lovely fabric covered buttons you made yourself.
Stay tuned for the next tutorial – how to use your buttons to DIY hair accessories.
What are you planning to do with your buttons? Please share your ideas below.
Leave a Reply