Creative Button Crafts

This fabric buttons how to tutorial will walk you through making fabric covered buttons with your own button maker. Embroidery is all the rage these days and the demand for fabric covered buttons is huge. Using a professional grade button machine, and some embroidery supplies you will be able to create a hot button product that will fly off the shelves of your online store or shop.

Supplies
The first step of any creative project is to select the high quality materials you intend to work with. In this case you will be needing a professional button machine, colored fabric and project design patterns. Your local craft store will have available the various button making patterns that you can use to guide your project, and a variety of fabric will also be available for your selection. Your button machine you can purchase online if you do not already have one, just be sure to get a professional grade machine that includes the features we will need.

When choosing your fabric you are only limited by the thickness of the material. Some materials such as silk, tend to make poor choices because they are not as durable as you would need for many button uses. You also want to avoid fabric that is so thick as to make your button ungainly or awkward. Let your creativity run wild when selecting the colors for your project. You will be able to make hundreds of buttons with just a few bolts of fabric so the costs are low, and you will probably surprise yourself with the style choices that become hot sellers for your store. The key is to experiment.

When planning your button making project, always refer to a pattern as a guide. The project pattern is intended to help you visualize your end result and guide you if you get lost. It is not necessary to follow the pattern religiously, and varying from the rules can often provide some of your greatest craft successes.

Setting Your Button Machine
Your typical button machine is designed to create buttons with a pin back result using paper. Fabric reacts to a button machine in a different manner and requires a different calibration to work correctly. Depending on the machine you are using, it might have a setting for working with fabric, if so, choose it. If you do not see a specially assigned calibration for working with fabric you might want to consult your local manufacturer support store for advisement as to the precise calibration you will need for fabric buttons.

Start Creating Buttons
After you have selected your supplies and set your machine it is time to start creating fabric buttons. Start by cutting the fabric using a typical circle cutter appropriate to the size of the buttons you intend to make. Remember to have the end product in mind before you begin, as you will want to leave room for any button accoutrements you intend to add to your button. The pinback is the most common button design you will use, but it is not the only option.

Use your machine to complete your button. Once your button is complete you will be able to embroider it or work with the fabric perhaps to create additional customizations. Your fabric button can then be used on your lapel, shirt, sleeve, hung around your neck or even attached to your shoe lace. You might want to consider checking out the various types of clips available to give you additional ideas of how you can display or use your fabric button.