Make your own fabric covered buttons

 Fabric covered buttons are easy to make from scratch.

Materials needed

Fabric [some scrap fabric will work fine] 

Scissors

Sewing thread

Embroidery thread [for the shank]

Batting or stuffing

Piece of plastic container like an ice cream box

Pen 

Beads and various embroidery thread if you want to make it even more special.

When you have gathered your supplies

Start with drawing circles on your plastic container as big as you want the button and cut them out. 

Find the fabric you want to use and cut circles about 2cm larger than the plastic circles. Cut out a circle of batting fitting the plastic circle or use stuffing. If you want to embroidery some thing or add beads now is the best time. I added running stitch using embroidery thread on two buttons and two with colorful fabric. 

Sew running stitch around the edge of the fabric circle. 

Place the batting in the middle of the fabric circle then the plastic circle on top 

Put the batting and the plastic circle into the fabric circle and pull the thread knot or other wise secure ends. 

Now your button should look like this on the front side. 

Cut another fabric circle for the back 

Fold in edges and sew it to cover the back of the button using ladder stitch or wip stitch 

Then it's time to make a shank 

Make a few loops using embroidery thread 

Blanket stitch all around the loop 

Now your button is ready to be used 

Easy Peasy right 👍

Replace jeans button

 It's really frustrating when the button of your jeans fall off. Often the leaves a hole too as they usually are studd buttons.

If you have a pice of denim and a coin or a regular button you can easily fix it. 

Of course you will need a needle and a sewing thread as well 😉

Sew running stitches around the pice of fabric just like the button in the previous posts 

Pull the thread with the coin inside the fabric. My fabric was a bit to small, but I was to lazy to get a bigger one. 

Pull the fabric through the hole, you might need to make it a bit bigger. 

Sew the fabric to the back of the hole 

If you have cut a bigger circle like I should have done you will get a better result on the back. You can always put a patch over it if you aren't happy with how it looks on the back. 

Looks perfect on the front 

The jeans are now back in circulation 👖

How to replace a button

The importance of a button is usually not noticed until it's missing. 

 If you have followed Mendingmayhem over at Instagram you know I sometimes like a lazy solution. Like this dress I found second hand and it was missing a button an had a tiny hole next to the pocket.

I just put a butterfly 🦋 brooch there instead. Well the next one fell off too, so I thought I should  fix it properly today.

Of course I didn't have a matching button, so I made it visible by using one that stands out instead.

It made me think about all the items I have found second hand that just is missing a button. So I think I actually need to show you how to replace a button as it seems a lot of people don't know how to.

To replace a button you will need 

sewing thread 

A sewing needle 

Scissors 

Replacement button 

Find the right place for your button, usually you can see tiny holes there the button have been. 

Sew a couple of stitches in the same place to secure the end of your thread.

I have just learned that some people make an x stitch underneath the button, and that I probably have been doing it wrong all my life 😂 but guess what my buttons still stay in place. I checked with some of the sewing experts I know Tricia and   Maria  they said they never learned the x stitch either. 

It would make good sense if it's a large coat button or similar. 

My button had 4 holes, some has just 2 but it's the same approach. Sew a few times up and down through the holes and the fabric 

A flat button needs a shank so you shouldn't tie your sewing thread way to tight. 

Wrap the thread 5-6 times around the bottom of the button, around the threads you sew it to the fabric 

Then  stick the needle through the wrapped threads and sew a couple of stitches to secure the ends. Cut your thread and you are done.

             Shank buttons 

Secure the thread by sewing a couple of stitches in the same place. 

 Sew through the shank and then through the fabric. Back up through the fabric and again through the shank. Repeat a few times 

Secure the end of the thread by sewing a few stitches in the same place. 

Your button should be safely replaced.