Sewing on buttons by hand is one of my least favorite tasks. But, I LOVE using buttons on my projects. I had a dilemma. That's why I was so excited when I learned how easy it is to sew buttons using my sewing machine – and you don't need a fancy one to do it. As long as your sewing machine can do a zigzag stitch, and the feed dogs can be lowered, you can sew on buttons galore by machine!

Depending on your sewing level, 'feed dogs' might be a foreign term. These are the ‘teeth' that push your fabric across the needle plate. The are located directly under the needle.

You need to lower the feed dogs so the machine doesn't try to feed the button through, and so the needle can stitch over and over in one location. The feed dogs on my Janome machine are lowered by sliding a button. Check your manual to see how it is done on your machine.

Janome offers a special accessory for sewing on buttons, the Button Sewing Foot T.

This little foot has a special rubberized bottom for holding the button in place. It's a great tool for sewing buttons, but it isn't essential. If you don't have this foot, you can sew a button with no foot at all – take off the foot, and use just the shank (that's the part left when you remove the presser foot) to hold the button in place while you're sewing.

You'll want to check your machine's manual for any specialized notes, but the following steps give a general 'how to.' It's SO easy; you'll want to experiment right away!

1. Attach the button sewing foot, or remove the pressure foot and work with the shank only.
2. Lower the machine's feed dogs.
3. Select a zigzag stitch.
4. Set the stitch length to 0.
5. Place your fabric and button under the machine. You should have already marked your fabric with your button(s) position.
6. Lower the foot (or shank) down onto the button to hold it in place.
   
7. Using the handwheel on the side of the machine, lower the needle into the left hole of the button. You may need to re-position the button a little to get the needle to clear the button hole perfectly.
   
8. Still using the handwheel, raise the needle so the needle moves to the right position (the right-most edge of the zigzag stitch).
9. Lower the needle so it hovers just above the button. You're going to 'eyeball' the position of the needle as you adjust the stitch width to determine when the needle will clear the right hole of the button perfectly.
10. Use your machine's stitch width selector to adjust the needle position until it looks like the needle will drop into the right hole of the button.
11. Once you have the zigzag width set, use the handwheel to drop the needle slightly in order to ensure it fits easily in both the left and right button holes.
    
12. Use the foot pedal to sew 8-10 stitches to attach the button.
13. If your machine has a locking stitch, use this to tie off the button. If you do not have a locking stitch, after you remove your fabric and button(s) from your machine, use a hand needle to bring your top thread tail to the back of the fabric. Tie a knot by hand with the top and bobbin thread tails.
    
14. If your button has four holes, simply move the button forward slightly, and repeat the process.

We used this awesome technique to sew on the dozens and dozens of buttons used in the two projects shown above:

Citrus Holiday: Patchwork Table Topper with Vintage Button Trim

Vintage Rescue: Button Front Pillow

Comments (7)

dhd said:

... thanks so much!!!!!!!!

November 15, 2011

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

... @ costumetech -- these buttons certainly can be functional, but you can only attach two or four hole flat buttons. I do not know of any home machines that will automatically attach a shank-style button. Gotta get out the needle and thread for that one.

August 10, 2011

costumetech said:

... but theyre not functional right? I mean you can put a shank on these buttons...

August 07, 2011

Thomas said:

... A zig-zag can also be used to sew D-rings onto curtain tie-backs. It gives an amazing result, very pro-looking!

May 20, 2011

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

... Hi Rache -- thanks for the great tip!

October 21, 2010

Rache said:

... If your machines feed dogs do not lower Put painters tape around the edges of a 3x5 card and adhere it over the feed dogs. Cut a hole in the card with a utility knife where the needle will go. The feed dogs will still move but your fabric will not.

October 20, 2010

tdscrap said:

... Awesome! I would never have thought to use my sewing machine for buttons. I'm going to try it right away!

September 14, 2010

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