How to Make Fabric Covered Buttons
Sometimes you have the perfect buttons to match your project. Other times…. not so much! Whether you can’t find the right buttons, or you just want an elevated look, fabric covered buttons are a great solution! They look fancy, match perfectly, and give your sewing project that extra dazzle. Today, let’s learn how to make fabric covered buttons!
DIY Fabric Covered Buttons
First, choose your fabric and buttons. Your buttons will be covered so they do not need to match in color. Make sure to use post buttons, rather than standard buttonhole buttons. I am covering five buttons for my project.
Lay one button on the wrong side of the fabric you are using to cover the button. Trace a line around the button, giving you a circle about the size of the button face.
Next, draw a dashed line about 1/4″ to the outside of the traced circle. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just eyeball it! Then, draw one more solid line around the dashed line, about another 1/4″ bigger. You should have three concentric circles. Repeat this process on your piece of fabric for each button you are covering.
Note:
These sizes work well for most standard buttons you would use on garments, but you can adjust the sizing if the button is very big or very small.
Thread a needle with a long piece of thread, and do not knot it. I prefer to keep the thread doubled so that the thread is a little stronger when I gather it. Hand sew a running/gathering stitch following the MIDDLE DASHED circle line. The starting and ending stitch should finish very close to each other. Leave long tails at both the start and end.
Remove the needle, but keep the tails very long. Cut out the button cover, following the outer-most circle line.
Can you cut the circle first and stitch second? Sure, but I find it much easier to stitch while holding a big piece of fabric than a tiny circle!
Gently pull the thread tails to begin gathering the cover. Gather until the cover resembles a little bowl. Place the button face side down into the bowl. If desired, add a dot of fabric glue to the button face first.
Continue pulling the threads to fully tighten the fabric edges around the button. If desired, use a tony amount of fabric glue on the back of the button to help keep the edges down. If you do this, use a toothpick to apply just tiny amounts to the area you need. When you are satisfied with the gathering tightness, tie off the tails into a snug knot.
Carefully trim down any excess fabric so the post is easy to sew through. Do not cut through the stitches. I like to apply fray check glue to the edges of the fabric, to keep it neat and tidy. Repeat with any other buttons you are covering. If you used glue, set aside to dry.
You are finished!
It is that easy to make fabric covered buttons!
Your beautiful DIY fabric covered buttons are ready to add to your project and will match perfectly. On a print, they will camouflage right into the print of the fabric!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial for making fabric covered buttons. This technique works beautifully on woven garments that have buttons, like Camellia, Azalea, Summer, and Sable. If you try this, we would love to see! Share in our Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram at @booandlupatterns.
