Tutorial: Fabric Covered Buttons and Snaps

Covered Buttons and Snap Tutorial

Have you ever worked so hard to finish a garment only to find you don’t have the right buttons or snaps to match?  Covering your own buttons with fabric can be the perfect solution!  Not only is it a wonderful scrap buster, but it gives you the ability to choose closures that perfectly blend in with your garment or contrast to stand out.  In just a few short steps you will learn how to customize your own buttons and snaps for endless possibilities!

Fabric Covered Buttons

Blank metal buttons come in a wide variety of sizes to be able to accommodate any project.  Buttons are sold using a measurement or a number size.  My Chelton features 7/8” (23mm) or size 36 buttons.

Supplies Needed:

-Fabric scraps

-All in one button cover kit

-OR universal button cover tool and metal buttons (two parts, a shell and a back with wire eye)

-Size guide included with the kit or metal cover buttons

Step 1: Cut out a circle of fabric for each button using the size guide included in the kit or metal cover button set. 

Step 2: Place the fabric onto the mold, centered in the middle with wrong side facing up. Important Tip: Fabric orientation is important if using stripes or directional fabrics. The wire eye tab will be sewn on horizontally. 

Step 3: Place the button shell on top of the fabric and press into the mold.  Gather the fabric into the middle of the button shell. 

Step 4: Place the button back on top of the button shell, with the wire eye facing up. 

Step 5: Press the pusher down then pop out of the mold to complete the fabric covered button. 

Fabric Covered Snaps

Snaps are an easy alternative to sewing buttons and buttonholes, and fabric covered snaps offer a fully customizable finishing touch. I used fabric covered snaps to create a Nara top paired with coordinating Newport shorts.  I was able to use small scraps of the peaches on my fabric print to create snaps that are a perfect match to bring the whole look together.  Visit our previous blog “How to Use Kam Snaps” for more assistance with adding snaps to your sewing projects. 

Supplies Needed:

-Kam Snaps press and awl

-Size 20 plastic Kam Snaps

-1” (2.5cm) coin, metal washer, or printed template

-Needle and thread

-Glue stick

Step 1: Use a 1” (2.5 cm) circle template to cut out fabric, one for each snap needed. (I use a  quarter as the perfect guide!) 

Step 2: Put a small layer of glue from fabric or regular washable glue stick onto the round front of each snap.  Position the snap in the middle of the fabric circle with the wrong side of fabric facing up. Let the glue dry.

Step 3: Double thread the needle as you would for hand stitching and tie both ends into a small knot at the end of the thread.

Step 4: Push the needle up through the right side of the fabric, a little less than 1/8” (0.3 cm) in from the perimeter of the fabric circle. Continue making a running stitch around the circle using small 1/8” (0.3 cm) stitches. 

Step 5: Pull the thread tight to gather around the back of the snap. 

Step 6: Keep the thread pulled tight and attach the snap as usual.  Trim the thread to complete the fabric covered snap. 

Fabrics used in today’s blog are from The Styled Magnolia’s Pick-A-Print Sweet Peach Collection printed on luxury cotton.