Mimzy on How to Sew On a Button

the strand and tie a double knot at the end. Remove any remnants of old thread that may still be left on the clothing, and then place your button on top of the fabric. Bring your needle up through the fabric first, then the holes in the button, pulling the needle until the double knot meets the fabric. Insert your needle back down into the hole that is beside the one you came up through, pulling the thread taut. If your button only has two holes, repeat this up and down process until the button is secure, at least six times. If your button has four holes, come back up through the third hole, and then go back down through the fourth hole before you begin repeating the process. Some buttons have openings on the underside rather than holes on the top. You can easily sew these buttons by bringing your needle up through the fabric first, then passing the needle through the opening on the base of the button. Insert the needle back down through the fabric directly beside where the needle came up through the fabric. Continue to sew the button until it is secure.

 

Buttons also make wonderful decorations for your other sewing or craft projects. I made a simple button covered pillow out of scrap fabric left over from covering a chair for my daughter’s dorm room. The buttons were part of a mismatched collection that I had been accumulating for years. If you’re not a pack rat like me, you can always buy a pack of buttons at your local craft or notions shop. Create a design on the back of your pillow fabric with chalk. Mark the spots for the buttons with different color chalk, so they’re easy to differentiate. For example, if you are making a star design, draw your star with white chalk. Then, pinpoint the spots for the buttons along the outline with yellow chalk. Begin sewing the buttons by inserting the needle up through one of the yellow dots; then, flip the fabric panel over and finish sewing the button. Repeat the process for each button in your design.

 

The easiest way to make a button covered pillow is to cut the front panel, and sew on the buttons before sewing and stuffing the pillow. Mine was an afterthought, so some of the pillow’s fiber filling came through as I was sewing on the buttons. It didn’t hurt anything, but it was a bit aggravating. You can also sew buttons as decorations to the front of sweaters or skirts or to add interest to plain handbags. Vintage buttons add a special flair to a retro style placemat or table cloth, or you can make a fabric covered photo album with vintage buttons and old costume jewelry for a unique keepsake.