How to Make a Fabric-covered Button Without Kit

Before you start making the fabric-covered buttons, you have to choose the right scraps of fabric. Not every fabric suitable for doing a nice and neat fabric-covered button especially when you make the button without a kit. For example, fabric that tend to fray is unsuitable, but a little fraying is acceptable in thin fabric because you can leave a larger seam allowance and it will not form a bulky knot at the back. Instead, a very thick fabric would create an inordinately large and thick button and it will form a bulky knot at the back. Usually, I will use button with or without shank at the back to make fabric-covered buttons. No matter what kind of buttons you are using, the steps of doing a fabric-covered button almost the same. Today, I'm going to show you how I make a fabric-covered button with the shank button and the button without shank.

  

How to make a fabric-covered button with shank button.

materials:
1. a shank button (no holes on top)
2. scrap of fabric
3. Matching thread

Measure the diameter of the button. Double the diameter of the button and draw a circle onto the scrap of  fabric. If the button is domed, add more extra millimeters to the diameter. Anyway, a very accurate measurement is not necessary. You can use something round to trace a circle with, as long as the diameter of the chosen tool is within your required measurement.

Trace a circle onto the fabric, then cut it out. Thread the needle with double thread, knot the end of the thread and sew along the raw edge with the smallish running stitch.

Place the button upside down on the wrong side of the stitched piece of fabric and the button should be put in the middle. Pull the thread to gather the fabric to form a small fabric sack. Then, use your fingers to pull and arrange the pleats evenly.

Continue pulling the thread until the fabric snuggle up to the button. Then turn the raw edge inwards with the needle tip, press with your thumb and pull the thread tight. Keep on turning the raw edge and pulling the thread tight until the end of the round.

Pass the needle through the pleats along the turned edge. Pick up several pleats every stitching. Pull the thread very tight after every stitching and make sure the shank of the button is not covered by the fabric. Sew one round, tighten up the opening by pulling the thread fully and knot off your thread.

The photo shown above is the back and front look of the fabric-covered button with shank. Since the shank is not covered, it can be used when you sew the button on.

How to make a fabric-covered button with the button without shank

materials:
1. a button without shank
2. scrap of fabric
3. Matching thread

The steps of making a fabric-covered button with the button without shank is almost the same as as you made the fabric-covered button with shank at the back. You have to sew the raw edge with the smallish running stitch, put the button on the fabric, gather the fabric, turn the raw edge inwards and pass the needle through the pleats to reinforce the fabric seam. The only different step is to close the opening completely.

This is the finished button. You would find that the button with or without shank at the back will give you the same outcome on the front side.

You can embellish your fabric-covered button with any decorative item. The above photo is showing an embellished fabric-covered button, I hot glued a sequin and a bead onto the center of the button to give it a different look.