Sticky Paws Blog

I-cord, felted cord and twisted cord buttons

I-cords, knitted cord or French cord easily make buttons that compliment your garment at a fraction of the price it would cost to buy buttons. The cords can be made using knitting needles, a knitting machine or using a wooden cotton reel with nails hammered into it.

To knit an I-cord cast on 3 stitches (or more) using two double-pointed needles. *Knit these stitches. Do not turn work. Slide these stitches to the right end of the needle. Pull yarn to tighten. Repeat from * until desired length is reached. Cast off. To make the button knot the cord once (or twice for a larger button) and sew the ends in to finish. A shank back can be glued onto the back of the button and reinforced with a few stitches.

A twisted cord button can be made by cutting a piece of yarn approximately four times as long as the desired finished cord length. Fold the yarn in half and anchor one end. Holding the other end twist the yarn until it starts to kink. Put the ends together allowing them to twist around each other holding the end tightly. Without letting go of the end knot the cord as before and sew the ends in using a piece of yarn. A shank may be added as before. To make a 1.5 cm (approx) button using a 4 ply weight yarn, cut a length of yarn 250 cm long. Fold the yarn to get an 8 ply yarn. Twist and continue as above.

A felted cord button can be made from felting a piece of roving. A 1.5 cm (approx) button is made from a piece of merino roving 15 cm long. Divide the roving length wise into 4 pieces. Roll one of the pieces on the draining board to slightly entangle the fibres. Spray gently with soapy water, but do not over wet. Continue to roll the roving on the draining board like a ‘sausage’ until hardened. Rinse under hot water until soap is removed continuing to rub gently with your hands. Dry the cord by pressing gently in a towel for a few moments. Knot the cord twice as above and secure the ends by sewing them through the back of the button. Trim the ends and leave to dry thoroughly. A shank back can be glued onto the back of the button and reinforced with a few stitches.

It is also possible instead of tying a knot to coil up the cords to make a spiral. Sew the spiral together on the wrong side of the button and attach a shank as before.

Button shanks are available from http://www.gregory-knopp.co.uk and http://www.fredaldous.co.uk (called button backs).

Fabric covered buttons

Buttons can also be made by covering rings with ‘fabric’. The rings can be metal or plastic but must not be a split ring. The size of your button will be determined by the size of the ring and thickness of the ‘fabric’. A button made from a sheer fabric such as cotton or silk can be quite small, whereas a button made from felt or felt knitting will need a bigger ring.

The button is made by cutting a circle slightly larger than the ring. If the fabric is very sheer or delicate is may be advisable to back it with interfacing. Using cotton sewing thread, sew running stitches around the edge of the circle ensuring that the thread is secured at the start. Place the ring in the centre of the fabric and gently pull the stitches together to enclose the ring. Secure by continuing to stitch in the back of the button, pulling the fabric tight. Attach a button back as before.

It is possible to make ‘padded’ buttons by making the circle slightly bigger. Sew running stitches as before and insert ring. As the ring is enclosed gently push the excess fabric into the ring. Secure and attach a button back as before.

Felted Buttons

It is possible to make several different types of buttons using felting techniques. Felted balls and beads make beautiful buttons and only need a small ring (available from jewellery suppliers) sewn on the back. The balls can be kept whole or cut in half with a ring attached to the round side. If the balls are made from a variety of colours they look particularly pretty when cut.

Tiny beads can be sewn together to form a cluster and decorated with further stitching. Round beads/balls can also be squashed before being fully hardened to make a ‘flatish’ button. A bead/ball which has been cut in half, can have a felted rope wrapped and sewn around it – it will look something like the planet Saturn.

Spiral buttons can also be made from different coloured prefelt. After a ‘sausage’ has been created, cut the sausage into slices. These slices can then be finished by attaching a button back, or squashed using a hammer or rolling pin and finished as before.

These are just a few ideas for creating buttons - the sky is really the limit. By using your imagination and a little ingenuity beautiful and unique buttons can be made at a fraction of the price it would cost you to buy them.