This tutorial shows you how to make fabric covered buttons using a kit! Fabric covered buttons are so fun to make, and they can add something extra to an outfit you’re mending or sewing. The nice part about them is that you can pick whatever fabric or pattern you want to cover them with.
I have added my own spin to this tutorial…I’m adding a rainbow embroidery to the fabric before I assemble the button and I’m also making mine into a pin! You can of course keep the button a button, but a lot of the fabric covered buttons kits come with flat backing without the button backing, so you can easily secure a pin on the back. Your choice!
Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links in it. I receive a small commission from purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. I only recommend products I would use and love and that are of good quality. All opinions are my own!
If you’d like to only see how to cover the button with fabric, you can click here to skip to that point!
Fabric Covered Button Supplies You’ll Need:
- Fabric Covered Buttons Kit – you can find these in the sewing section of pretty much any craft store.
- Scissors
- Water Soluble Marker
- Embroidery Floss – I used every color of the rainbow and white (For the embroidery part)
- Embroidery Needle (For the embroidery part)
- Embroidery Hoop (For the embroidery part)
- Pin Clasp (To make it into a pin)
- E6000 Glue (To make a pin)
If you’d like to follow along and make the rainbow embroidery before we assemble the button, keep reading.
If you’d like to only see how to cover the button with fabric, you can click here to skip to that point!
Rainbow Embroidery How To
Before I got started on making the design and stitching it, I traced the outer diameter of the clear plastic circle that comes in the button cover kit. Some of these kits may not come with a plastic circle, but instead may have a circle stencil you can cut out on the back of the packaging.
TIP: This will show you the EXACT amount of fabric that you should use for the button, If you use too much or too little fabric, your button will be harder to make and may not work at all. I’ve definitely made this mistake before so take care before you get started to follow the stencil exactly to set yourself up for success!
The embroidery part of this project is rather simple. If you aren’t familiar with the stitches used, you can view them here!
- Back stitch one line of each color of the rainbow.
- Make french knots for the clouds using white!
How to Cover Buttons With Fabric
- If you haven’t done so already, trace the plastic circle stencil (some may have a circle stencil to cut out of the cardboard on the back of the kit packaging) onto the fabric. This shows you exactly how much fabric your button will need, so follow it carefully!
- Cut the fabric out around the circle.
- Using the top of the button, the piece of fabric, and the clear plastic piece that comes in the kit, place the fabric over the top of the button and make sure it’s centered. Place the fabric and the top of the button face down into the clear plastic piece.
- Gather the back of the fabric and make sure that your fabric and the excess fabric is centered and that you don’t have any fabric that is bunched up in the clear plastic piece.
- Carefully place the back of the button over top of the excess fabric on the back and make sure no fabric is sticking out of the back of the button.
- On a firm surface, take the blue plastic piece and use it to apply firm pressure onto the back of the button until it clicks into place.
- If you want to turn your button into a pin, secure the pin onto the back with E6000 glue and let dry overnight!
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