June 19, 2007

fabric covered button tutorial


You can cover your own buttons without buying the cover buttons kit. Here is how:


You first will need...

1. Scrap of fabric (enough to cover the button that you will be using)
2. A button with a shank. (Button with a loop on the back. No holes)
3. Scisors
4. Embroidery thread (just 3 ends)
5. Fine needle
6. Ruler
7. Ball point pen


With the ruler measure the distance between the shank and the edge of the button.


With the pen and from the edge of the button, mark onto the fabric the distance that you obtained from measuring the inside of the button.



With the button on the fabric and upside down trace around the button the circumference of the piece of fabric needed to cover the button. Put the button aside and cut the circle.



With the needle and the embroidery thread, stitch a running stitch along the edge of the fabric circle. Make sure to leave a tail of thread long enough to make a couple knots.




Place the button up side down right in the middle of the stitched round piece of fabric.



Pull both ends of thread until the fabric snuggles the button.


Make a couple knots making sure the fabric is tight around the shank of the button.



It should look like this.



There should not be any fabric or thread blocking the button's shank so you can sew your button to your projects.


And here they are all ready to use. Have fun!

80 comments:

BlessedCP said...

LOVE THESE!
Thanks for sharing the how-to. I'll be making some. :-)

Anonymous said...

great looking and simple :) well done mac!!

Anonymous said...

Excellent tutorial! Thanks :)

Jenn Maruska said...

You have a wonderful blog - you are very creative and I love the colors you use! : )

iSew said...

This is great. I hate using those metal buttons to cover, ick. Thanks for the tutorial.

karla said...

Thanks! Love it!

David and Melissa said...

What a great tutorial! Definitely have to try this one!
Melissa xxxxxxxxxxx

Else M Tennessen said...

This is a GREAT explanation. I can't wait to try this technique. Your blog is very nice; I'll continue visiting! Happy New Year to you!

manu said...

it's beautiful to see somebody still wants to share his arts....thank you very much!!
all the best!

Anonymous said...

Excellent
I will test it.
Lot of thanks

Anonymous said...

Adorei estas explicações, escrevo em Português pois não entendo uma linha em Inglês. Preciso correr atrás deste prejuízo, mas voltando ao assunto, achei ótimo, entendi tudo pelas fotos. Obrigada. Cristina Melo.
http://toqueeestilo.blog.terra.com.br

Struinkunst by Lisette said...

Thanks for this useful tutorial!

Joey's Dream Garden said...

Very nice and great money-saving idea! I have loads of old buttons that I can re-use this way, thank you! :D

Anonymous said...

PURE GENIUS!!!!! I love these and had no idea how to do that! I thought it was going to be way trickier! Thanks!!!

S. M. said...

These are SO cute! I've been in a very crafty mood lately and this sounds like and fun and simple project. Thanks for a great tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Thanks soo much! I was covering a glider rocker cushion and it needed something. . . These buttons were it!
Very fun and super easy.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU! That's exactly what I was looking for <3!

Hi I'm Debee :) said...

beautiful!
thanks so much for the tutorial!
love it!
-d

Tina Jan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tina Jan said...

Thank you for this wonderful tutorial. The photos and directions were clear and easy. I saved so much time and money. You're awesome. Me and my dad made 28 of these buttons in half a day!

Lonie said...

Fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing this great idea. No more ludicrously expensive button kits for me.

Mal said...

this is a great tutorial! I'm linking to it from my blog.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tutorial,
I will do it..
it so easy..

no need to buy new button

i will put a link to your blog.

Unknown said...

Wow this is so much easier than I thought it would be! Can't wait to try this out :)

~ ami

Nesa said...

Never knew how to measure the size of cloth to cover the button. I just draw one circle larger than the button. Thanks for the tutorial and the tips

Lottie and Me said...

Hi - New to this blogging business but having fun but a little overwhelmed at all the clever people out there. Just had a look at your button tutorial - thanks so much - can't wait to have a go, have so many ideas!!!!! It's something my daughter and I can have fun with - hope you get a chance to pop by and see my efforts. Best regards from the UK - Sarah at Lottie and Me

Kat said...

Wonderful tutorial. Thanks for posting it.

Anonymous said...

love this...thank you!

ROSY* said...

I love it thank you this is great!!

the stained glass librarian said...

a genius idea! i shall be using this technique this weekend as i create my upholstered headboard : ) thank you.

Anonymous said...

this was great, I thought that this would be hard... but you made it seem really easy. great, thanks...

Tif said...

I'd never thought to sew them on. Duh. I was going to glue them. Glad I found your tutorial!!

Contos de Sonhos said...

hI,

Thank you for the tutorial.
Cristiane - Brazil

Jeanne M. Wigoena said...

It's so cute..
I think now I know how to cover buttons with images I like.
Thank you (^^,)*

Deb Robertson Writes said...

I googled covered buttons, expecting to find the kits for sale. Thanks for the tutorial, I NEVER would have thought of that!

Shell said...

brilliant idea! i just bought self cover buttons, 6 buttons for $4.60AUD. OUCH! this is amuch better idea, and a way to bring mismatched buttons together :)

Anonymous said...

Mother of pearl tonight's prayers are on your behalf!

Thanks for the great instructions. These are perfect for what I need to do.

Anonymous said...

Obrigada pelo tutorial...
Thanks for this tutorial!

Unknown said...

Thank you to show. It's already beautifull! :-)

Christina Magliano said...

Great tutorial! I have posted a link back to this tutorial on my forum Craft Savy & Penny Wise...http://www.chrissiescustomcreations.com/forum

amy sprouse said...

SWEET MOLASSES, JAN BRADY! I now know how to do a covered button! Thx!

lisa said...

Can't wait to try this.

Anonymous said...

i also like to do this with buttons with 4 or 2 holes in them, and then you can sew through the holes and it looks pretty cute--especially with really big buttons.

Momma Roar said...

Just made my first one today - how cute!! Thanks for the tip!!

Leigh Ann

liszha said...

This is what I call a cool tutorial! Thanks for sharing!

Glassprimitif said...

THanmks! This was very clear o follow beacuse I have some button pieces but no template to work out the size. Your tutorial explains it all.
Jo

Lucy said...

What a lovely idea, perfect for when you can't find quite the right embelishment. Thanks. Lucy x

babalisme said...

I love this tutorial very much I'm linking to it on my blog! I hope you don't mind.

Sandra :) said...

I just found this tutorial - I had no idea that this could be done! I have self-covered button kits on my shopping list, so now I can try whipping these little lovelies up with on-hand supplies - thank you!

Bec Clarke said...

That's great, I wanted to make some but didn't want to buy special gear.
Thank you

Steve said...

This is a perfect cost-saver for a colonial reenacting project I'm working on.

Kristine said...

What a great idea. I made a few for a project and found it so easy and quite addictive. I can see me doing a lot more. I've linked to you on my blog. Thank-you.

vane31 said...

I always wanted to know how this was done, thank you!

NorppaStiina said...

Linked this in my blog. This just is the best tutorial there is about the subject. Thank you!

Unknown said...

Love this! I purchased about 500 vintage buttons and would love to make them unique, now I know how, thanks so much!
Barbara

Judy/Mpls said...

Thank you so much for this idea!
You have saved me money and frustration....I can't believe how easy this is and how great the buttons look...The tutorial couldn't be better! You have a new greatful fan.. J. Stewart

Judy/Mpls said...

Freudian slip....I mean grateful!

Anonymous said...

What a fabulous idea! I can't wait to try this. Thank you for sharing your step-by-step tutorial. I am adding you to my favorites.

Chits said...

Thank you, thank you! Its so inspiring to see your website!

Katrina said...

This is great and I know it's been said, but I wouldn't have thought of this either! I've been searching for days for specific buttons to go with a costume and couldn't find what I needed. I will do this now and it will match perfectly. Thank you!

Maribel said...

Thank you very much for the tutorial, I found your page by accident and I feel great, with your permission to use this insurance cover buttons tutorial many times, and of course comment on where you've learned.
Kisses

Ve from Ottawa said...

Thanks for this tutorial, well done!
I am just finishing my first upholstery project, a sofa (I know, it's a bit ambition for a first but I'm so happy because it turned out great!) and I needed just the final touch, with professional looking fabric covered buttons.
Thanks again from Ottawa!

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reverse search said...

Those look like a lot of fun to make - probably really fun to do with these kids too :)

rachel griffith said...

brillant.
:)

Janet Kan said...

Cool!!!

ametsak said...

great! thanks for the tutorial :)

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Anonymous said...

Wow, you are AWESOME.

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nice and innovating idea I found on your blog

Anonymous said...

Thank you! It's a really nice and useful tutorial... Now I'll create a lot of covered buttons! ^v^

Tee said...

Great post! Wish I had seen it about 2 hours ago when I made a pincushion pillow...okay no problemo, I'll just make more!

gabby said...

Oh Wonderful wonderful tutorial... one WITHOUT the kit.
Ive been searching for a tutorial where i didnt have to purchase a kit of some sort. Especially when all i want to do is cover buttons i already have =)
thank you thank you

gemsonline said...

It is very usefull information for every one..

Gr82Cre8 said...

I plan on referencing your tutorial in a tutorial I plan to post soon on another website. Great instructions!

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Health Tips said...

thanks for the tutorial! :)

Erin Estella said...

Out of all the fabric covered button tutorials I have found today, yours was by far the easiest, most well descripted one and I made the best buttons following this tutorial.

Lotti x said...

Great tutorial - I've been wondering how to make these for a while! Hope it's OK that I've suggested this as a future project in a SwapBot group I belong to ...