How To :: Making Fabric Covered Buttons

For this month’s Craft Leftovers Monthly I included vintage fabric covered buttons in everyone’s package. And one thing I noticed while looking through them all is that they are pretty easy to make (without a kit) from just a washer, some batting, fabric, and a needle and thread. Metal wasn’t as readily available as wood and it was much easier to poke holes in a wooden disk or a shell or some bone, than fabricate a metal button, and for fabric covered buttons, it was much easier to take some fleece or hay or hair, wrap it around a piece of wood or bone or shell, and sew some fabric around it, than go to Joann’s and pick up a fabric covered button kit.

I used a washer that’s inner hole was 3/8″, it’s outer hole is about 3/4″. I cut a piece of cotton batting to a slightly larger size, then a circle of cotton batting with about a 1 1/2″ diameter, and cut a circle of fabric about 1 3/4″ in diameter. I cut the circle of batting with little 1/4″ slits (or less) around the edges so I could fold it over.

I sewed each little piece down to the center.

Then I took the little disk and sewed it to the back side of the washer (which will be the front of the button).

I laid the washer facing down on the fabric with the wrong side facing.

I folded and sewed each side of the fabric down to the back of the button.

Then I did several stitches across the back to keep everything in place and to keep it from fraying.

Tie a knot, trim the thread, and I was done.

You can make buttons this way. Just make sure to make a shank when you sew your button on, I’ll do a little follow up tutorial on sewing buttons on when they don’t have a shank. It’s pretty easy, but I sure didn’t know how to do it until my friend Jess showed me.

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I’ll be back a little later tonight with the finished lamp. Just some hot glue, some trim, a picture and I’ll be done! I got a huge thumbs up from Jason that it was looking much better than before so that makes me feel good.

Happy Crafting!
Kristin