How to Make Removable Buttons for Victorian Clothes

Some original Civil War-era and Victorian clothes, like men's linen vests, have little eyelet holes where the buttons should go, but no buttons. It was a way to use removable buttons, so they could be taken out to make washing and ironing easier.

If you have an original garment that needs buttons added for display, or are making a Victorian costume and need removable buttons, here's how to make them using jewelry split rings and cotton twill tape.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• jewelry split rings
• cotton twill tape
• needle and thread
• buttons with shanks

1. If you're making your own garment, you'll need to sew eyelet holes where the buttons go. Carefully spread the threads with a large nail, or punch a hole with a leather punch, to make a hole about 1/8" across. Sew around the hole with a buttonhole stitch to strengthen it.

2. 
    
   Buttons with rings inserted, and eyelet holes

   Purchase a package of small gold split rings, about 1/4" or 5/16" in diameter. These are sold in the jewelry or craft section. Choose any kind of buttons with shanks, and slip a ring through the shank of each button.

3. 
    

   Press each button into an eyelet, so the button is on the front of the garment and the ring is on the inside. Cut a piece of 1/4" twill tape a little longer than the whole line of buttons. Tie a knot in one end to keep it from slipping through the rings. Thread the other end through the rings, as shown in the photo, and tie a knot or tack the other end of the tape with a few stitches, to hold it in place. The tape will prevent the rings from slipping back through the eyelets. When you want to remove the buttons, just undo the tape and slip it back out, and the buttons can be removed.