How To Hand Sew a Buttonhole in 8 Easy Steps!

If your sewing project calls for the insertion of a button closure, you might panic as a newbie sewer. Buttonholes can be a little trickier to sew than buttons, especially when it comes to their size and alignment.

Most home sewing machines conveniently have a buttonhole setting. However, you can always stitch the buttonhole by hand if sewing with your machine makes you feel a little intimidated. You will have a better understanding of the shape, size, and alignment of conventional button closures by sewing a hand-worked buttonhole.

I’ll demonstrate how to manually sew a buttonhole in this post today. Let me first explain when you would need to manually sew a buttonhole stitch. Right now, the majority of our buttonholes are sewn on with a sewing machine. What good is it to learn how to do it by hand, then?

For those of you who are unaware, a sewing machine will sew tight, closely spaced zigzag stitches around the buttonhole with a bar tack at the top and bottom.

You can still see a tiny bit of fabric between the zigzag stitches and the spot where you snipped the buttonhole open. Unless you employ a fray check solution, this fabric may fray somewhat over time.

In this post, I’m going to show you step-by-step how to sew a buttonhole by hand, and by the end of it, you’ll know exactly how to do it!

Before You Get Started

• Practice on scrap fabric before sewing buttonholes on your project to understand how the fabric behaves.

• Use a single thread to prevent tangling and snagging.

• Consider using double-sided fusible interfacing or fusible web to provide stability and prevent fabric layers from shifting while hand sewing.

• Pay attention to the density and length of your stitches, and avoid tightening the thread too much to maintain flexibility.

• Choose the right thread for your fabric; silk thread for light-weight silk fabric and Pearl cotton, embroidery thread #10, or embroidery floss for heavy-weight fabrics.

• Sewing buttonholes by hand requires precision and care, so take your time.

Supplies Required

• Fabric: The fabric you want to attach the buttonhole to.
• Interfacing: Provides stability to the fabric and is essential for a durable buttonhole. The type of interfacing may vary based on your fabric and pattern recommendations.
• Button: The button for which you’ll be creating the buttonhole. Measure its diameter for accurate sizing.
• Thread: Choose a thread that complements your fabric. For buttonhole stitching, you can use either topstitching thread (e.g., Mara 70) for added durability and visibility or regular all-purpose thread in a matching color for a more subtle appearance.
• Needle: A sharp sewing needle suitable for your fabric. Make sure it’s compatible with your thread.
• Scissors or Buttonhole Cutter: To cut the buttonhole accurately without fraying the fabric.
• Ruler or Seam Gauge: To measure and mark the buttonhole length accurately.
• Chalk or Fabric Marker: For marking the buttonhole and guiding your stitching.
• Thimble: An optional tool to protect your finger while pushing the needle through the fabric.
• Tailor’s Awl or Circular Punch (for keyhole buttonholes): If you’re making keyhole-style buttonholes, you’ll need one of these tools to create the circular cut at the keyhole’s end.

Optional Materials

• Iron and Ironing Board: Useful for pressing the fabric and interfacing before and after sewing the buttonhole.
• Thread Conditioner: Can make hand-sewing smoother by reducing friction between the thread and fabric.

Follow These Steps To Sew a Buttonhole By Hand

Step 1: Prepare your Fabric with Interfacing

Interfacing adds stability to the fabric, which is crucial for a durable and professional-looking buttonhole. The interfacing should be placed just behind the intended buttonhole location. It’s essential to follow the pattern’s recommendations for interfacing, as some pattern pieces, such as waistbands or button plackets, may already have interfacing in place due to their function.

Step 2: Measure the Button Diameter

Accurate measurement is key to ensuring the buttonhole fits the button perfectly. To determine the button’s diameter, you can use a seam gauge, a small tool specifically designed for this purpose. Measuring the button accurately will help you choose the right length for your buttonhole.

Step 3: Mark the Buttonhole

Start by marking the center line for the buttonhole, using the button’s diameter as the reference length. Additionally, mark the start and end points of the buttonhole with perpendicular lines on each end of the center line. The accuracy of your markings is crucial for a well-finished buttonhole. Depending on the thickness of the button, you may need to extend the center line slightly to allow for smooth button passage.

Step 4: Mark or Stitch the Buttonhole Depth

To guide your buttonhole stitches, mark or stitch the buttonhole depth, typically ranging from 1/16” to ⅛”. A running stitch can be used for this purpose. It’s important to use a single thread of the desired color, approximately 25 inches in length, to ensure you have enough thread for an average-sized buttonhole. The thread choice should complement the fabric you’re working with.

Step 5: Cut the Buttonhole

Carefully cut down the center line using sharp scissors or a buttonhole cutter. Take great care not to cut past the start and end lines, as this could result in an uneven or messy buttonhole.

Step 6: Start Buttonhole Stitches

The actual buttonhole stitching begins by bringing the needle up through the backside of your fabric, emerging along the stitching line or the ⅛” marked line. Starting in the middle of the buttonhole can be convenient for stitching. Position the thread to the right and loop it behind and under the eye of the needle.

Slide it under the needle’s point, pulling it to the right, and draw the needle through the fabric. This technique creates a knotted buttonhole stitch at the edge. Continue stitching around the buttonhole, ensuring your needle comes up on the outside of the stitching line to cover the running stitches and keeping your buttonhole stitches close together.

Step 7: Shape the Buttonhole Ends

The way you shape the buttonhole ends depends on the style you prefer:

• For a bar tack, use a satin stitch.
• If you want a more rounded or keyhole-style buttonhole, fan out your stitches. For a keyhole buttonhole, make a slightly circular cut at the keyhole’s end before stitching. You can use a tailor’s awl or a specialized circular punch for this purpose.

Step 8: Finish the Buttonhole

To secure the buttonhole and prevent unraveled stitches, draw the needle to the backside of your fabric and thread it back and forth through the stitches on the backside of the buttonhole. This creates a durable finish.

After securing the thread, trim it carefully. If any running stitches are visible or have been missed in the buttonhole stitches, you can trim them away. If you’ve used a matching thread color, these imperfections may not be noticeable in the final result.

The handmade buttonhole is finally finished!

Learning how to hand sew a buttonhole is a useful skill. Watch this video tutorial to make it easy and start adding stylish buttonholes to your sewing projects!

Summary

The beauty of hand-worked buttonholes lies in the precision and customization they offer. Don’t hesitate to explore the possibilities of adding a second layer of blanket stitches for a thicker finish, ensuring durability and style. With practice and the knowledge shared here, you can sew multiple buttonholes effortlessly, perfectly aligned, and even experiment with different styles and sizes to suit your unique projects. So, grab your needle and thread, and start creating buttonholes that showcase your craftsmanship and attention to detail. Happy sewing!

Frequently Asked Questions

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