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Fabric Covered Buttons (8040 Views)
I guess everyone knows the problem... you can't find good matching buttons. Or you don't like the feel of the buttons (that's my problem). The solution is easy: make fabric covered buttons. I found a tutorial on them in a Burda sewing book, tried it, liked it and decided to share this technique in a very detailled photo tutorial.
view all steps
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Step 1 of 9
So you need: 1. A button to cover. One you don't like the look of. :-) 2. Fabric to cover the button with. Matching your creation, of course. Or, if you like, a contrasting fabric.
3. Fabric to cover the bottom of the button. It can be the same as Nr.2, of course, but in order to make it more illustrative, I went with a different colour.
4. Backing. Not necessary, but especially if your button is really flat, this is useful for a nicer shape and feel.
5. Scissors.
6. Thread, which somehow didn't make it to the picture. :-) And a needle, of course.
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Step 2 of 9
Place your button on the fabric Nr.2 and draw a circle around it. (You can help yourself with the shape... I used a roll of tape. :-)
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Step 3 of 9
Do the same with fabric Nr.3. This circle should be smaller. Cut both circles out.
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Step 4 of 9
Zig-zag around the edges of the bigger circle. This isn't necessary, and it isn't so easy with such a small circle, but it's better to work with finished edges, especially if your fabric tears off a lot.
Handstitch around the edges with a baste stitch. Don't finish, leave the loose end of the thread! Later you'll be shrinking it.
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Step 5 of 9
Place a piece of backing and the button on the circle...
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Step 6 of 9
... and shrink it. Now secure the stitch.
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Step 7 of 9
Take the smaller circle and cut small clips around the edges. This again isn't necessary, but believe me, it makes things much easier.
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Step 8 of 9
Sew the smaller circle with a whip stitch to the bottom of the button to give it nice finish. (It looks especially good if your handstitching is neater than mine and you use a matching thread. :-)
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Step 9 of 9
And you've made a nice fabric covered button. There are many opportunities to alter this process, for example I've seen some using embroidered fabric. Link
Materials
fabric, button, backing, thread
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COMMENTS (23)
Sorry for the cropped first picture... For a mysterious reason I left it 600 pixels wide. But the others, which are a bit cropped too, were really 500 pixels!
You're welcome. :-)
grtt!!! thankss:D
Impressive! I just made my first fabric covered button with one of those metal buttons made for it. This, however, is the real thing!
Lauriana, this is much easier for me, because I don't know if I would get those prefabricated tools easily here in CR, while we always have lots of these ugly neutral plastic buttons at home and I don't have to spend money on the tools. :-) Moreover, you could make it with any flat round thing, you don't need to use explicitly buttons for it...
Great how-to Marmotab, thanks! Have done it once with those special buttons that are at least as expensive as the real thing, good and cheap tip!