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How to Sew a Buttonhole by Hand – Ultimate Guide (+ Video)

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What thread do you use for hand sewing buttonholes?

Traditionally, silk buttonhole twist thread (for example [1], [2], or [3]) is used for hand working buttonholes. It’s a thicker silk thread that’s very strong, and it creates a beautiful shiny appearance. It can be challenging to source based on your location, so if you, like me, can’t get your hands on it you can also use regular topstitching thread. I use Gütermann’s Top Stitch thread as it’s the same thickness as the buttonhole twist, and it looks really nice when sewn up.

Supplies:

  • Gimp
    • Gimp is a type of cord that consists of a wire or silk core wrapped in silk. It’s a thin but really strong, inflexible material. It is used to add extra strength to handsewn buttonholes so that they don’t stretch, grow and distort with use. It’s most commonly used when hand sewing buttonholes into tailored projects like jackets, coats, or waistcoats, so you can choose not to use it on lightweight garments like shirts, blouses, dresses, skirts, and so on.
    • You can also make your own gimp substitute by making a four-cord gimp. To do so, take a length of buttonhole twist or topstitching thread that’s about 20 times as long as your finished buttonhole length. Fold it in half, and twist it as tightly as you can. Once you can’t twist it anymore before it bunches up, fold it in half again and let the two halves twist up. Give the loose ends a knot, run it through beeswax, and press it with a hot iron. Here’s a video tutorial showing you how it’s done.
    • Another alternative is to use a single strand of heavyweight thread, such as upholstery thread.
  • Thread
    • Silk buttonhole twist or topstitching thread in a mathing or contrasting color to your fabric
    • All-purpose polyester or cotton thread – I’d recommend you match the color either to your fabric or the buttonhole thread you’ll be using, so that the overcasting stitches blend in seamlessly.
  • Cutting tools
    • Small, sharp pair of scissors
    • Buttonhole chisel or craft knife
    • Leather punch (for keyhole buttonholes only)
  • Hand sewing needle 
    •  A thin, sharp needle in a small size will work for most fabrics and projects. I’d recommend starting with a size 8 Sharps hand sewing needle.
  • Thimble
    • I would highly recommend getting used to using a thimble when you’re hand sewing, especially on long repetitive hand sewing tasks like sewing buttonholes on a few layers of fabric. I have oddly shaped ring fingers and I have yet to find the perfect thimble for them, so this is a do as I say not as I do situation. 
  • Beeswax
    • You will run the threads you’re using through beeswax and press them with a hot iron before using them to make the buttonhole stitches. The wax coating helps condition and strengthen the thread, and prevents tangles from forming.
  • Iron
  • The fabric of your choice
  • Your button
  • Interfacing
  • Ruler
  • Fabric marking tool of your choice (i.e. chalk or water-soluble marker)

How to mark, cut, and prepare the fabric for hand sewing a buttonhole

As with most sewing tasks, good preparation really matters for achieving good results when you’re hand sewing buttonholes. Here I’ll cover how to mark your fabric, how to cut it open, and a couple of ways you can prepare the area before you start working your buttonhole stitches. 

Marking & drawing guidelines

Place the button where you would like it to sit on the fabric / on your project. Mark the center of the button by poking a marking tool through the holes of the button. This will be the starting point for your buttonhole.

Next, we’ll measure and mark the length of the buttonhole.

  • If you’re using a thin button, simply put the edge of the button so that it touches the first mark you’ve made. Make a second mark on the other edge of the button, about 2 mm (less than ⅛”) away from the button.
  • If you’re using a chunkier button, measure the diameter and thickness of the button. Add the two measurements together, and add another 2-3 mm (about ⅛”) to this measurement. Make a second mark that is this measurement apart from your first mark.

Draw a vertical line through the center of these two horizontal markings. You now have all the markings you need to cut your fabric open. 

Cutting the fabric open

  • For rectangle and round-end buttonholes 
    • Make a single, straight cut on the vertical line connecting the two short horizontal lines. Try to keep your cut clean and straight. You can use a buttonhole chisel, a craft knife, a razor, or a small and sharp pair of scissors to make this cut.
  • For keyhole buttonholes
    • Punch a small hole using a leather hole punch at one end of your buttonhole markings. Then, using small, sharp scissors cut straight through until your reach the second marking. 

How to prepare the area

There are two techniques you can use to prepare the area where the buttonhole will go before you move on to the actual buttonhole stitching. One of them involves sewing a tiny rectangular frame around the hole (or around your markings before you’ve cut into the fabric) by hand or by using your sewing machine, about 2-33 mm (⅛”) away from the center line. The other involves overcasting the cut edges by hand to keep all the layers together and minimize the fraying of the materials. 

You can combine the two, or choose to do one over the other. I would recommend you always do the overcasting, as it really helps with the next steps in both keeping the fraying at bay and forming a guideline you can follow. Here I’ll show you how you can do both techniques.

  • Sewing a frame by hand or by machine:
    • This method works best with rectangular and rounded end buttonholes. If you’re sewing the frame by hand, you can tailor the shape to fit a rectangular or a rounded end buttonhole. If you’re sewing it by machine, I’d recommend sticking to a rectangular buttonhole.
    • By hand: Using all-purpose polyester or cotton thread and small running stitches, sew a frame around the vertical center line. 
    • By machine: Using a straight stitch with a length of 2 mm and all-purpose thread, sew a small rectangular frame around the vertical center line marking.
  • Overcasting by hand
    • 1) Take a length of all-purpose polyester or cotton thread that is about 18” (45 cm) long. Run it through some beeswax, and either press it with a hot dry iron or melt the wax on the thread using the heat of your hands. Thread it through a small, sharp needle like a size 8 Sharps.
    • 2) Insert your needle into the right side of the fabric, about 1” (2.5 cm) away from the starting point of your buttonhole. Come back up through the hole. Leave a tail that’s approximately 2” (5 cm) long where you first inserted your needle.
    • 3) You will start stitching at the beginning of one of the long sides, moving toward the left. Insert your needle about 2 mm (less than ⅛”) away from the raw edge, going from the underside of the fabric to the top. Put your needle through the loop that is formed, and pull it through. Be careful not to tug on the thread too much, we don’t want to pucker or gather the edge. You want the thread to lie flat on the raw edge of the fabric.
    • 4) Repeat this stitch every 3 mm (⅛”) or so, trying to keep an even 2 mm distance from the cut edge. 
      • For rectangular buttonholes, you can simply overcast the two long sides and leave it at that.
      • For rounded-end buttonholes, start rounding off the short ends as you approach them. You can make your stitches closer together to get a better rounded shape here.
      • For keyhole buttonholes, just focus on staying an even distance away from the cut or punched raw edges.
    • 5) When you make your way around the entire hole and reach the second short end, pull both thread tails to the back and either snip them off or tie them together and trim them.

You will likely be working on at least two layers of fabric as you’re sewing the buttonhole. To prevent the layers from shifting, you can also do some basting stitches by hand around the area where the buttonhole will go. I’d recommend doing this before cutting the fabric open, so that the cut goes through the same spot in all the layers involved.

How to hand sew a standard rectangle buttonhole

Description & Uses

A standard, rectangular buttonhole features blanket stitches along the long sides and bartacks at the short ends. It’s a good option if you’re hand sewing vertical buttonholes on garments like shirts, skirts, dresses, etc. It works best on light to medium-weight woven fabrics and thinner buttons without shanks.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

  1. Prepare the area by marking, cutting, and overcasting the raw edges as outlined in the section on preparation.
  2. Thread your needle with a buttonhole twist thread or topstitching thread and run it through beeswax. Melt it onto the thread using the warmth of your hands or a hot, dry iron. 
  3. Insert your needle into your fabric about 1” (2.5 cm) away from the short, square end of your buttonhole. Come up through the buttonhole, keeping a tail that’s approximately 2” (5 cm) long.
  4. Insert your needle about 2 mm (less than ⅛”) away from the overcast edge, going from the bottom of the fabric to the top. Put your needle through the loop that is formed, and pull it through. Make sure to maintain the same orientation each time you’re going through the loop with your needle for even results.
  5. Repeat step 4 all along the first long edge of the buttonhole, until you reach the second short end. Keep your stitches close together, and try your best to maintain an even distance from the overcast edge. Your stitches should cover all the overcasting you’ve done, and the frame you’ve sewn if you chose to sew one in the preparation steps.
  6. When you reach the end of the first long side, you’ll sew a bartack which will form the short end. To do so, sew 1 or 2 horizontal stitches that extend from the outer edge of the last stitch you’ve made to where the outer edge of the first stitch of the second long side will be. This horizontal stitch should be twice as long as the blanket stitches you’ve been sewing, so about 4-6 mm (about ¼”) long. Next, sew very short vertical stitches that loop around the horizontal stitch(es) you’ve sewn, going from the long side you’ve completed to the other one. Finish with your needle on the back of your work.
  7. Work down the other long side, the same way as the first one, until you reach the second short end. 
  8. When you reach the second short end, repeat step 6 to form the second bartack.
  9. Finish by inserting your needle from the top to the bottom. Pull the long tail you’ve left at the very beginning, to the underside, and tie them together in a secure knot. Alternatively, you can finish by taking a short stitch at the back of your work and putting your needle through the loop before pulling it, tying a classic knot. 

How to hand sew a round-end buttonhole

Description & Uses

A round-end buttonhole features blanket stitches along the long sides and at least one rounded end. The other short end could be a square formed out of a bartack, a tapered point, or another rounded end. It’s commonly used for sewing horizontal buttonholes on jackets, waistcoats, trousers, jeans, etc. You can use it on all weights of fabric.

Step-by-Step Tutorial

  1. Prepare the area by marking, cutting, and overcasting the raw edges as outlined in the section on preparation.
  2. Thread your needle with a buttonhole twist thread or topstitching thread and run it through beeswax. Melt it onto the thread using the warmth of your hands or a hot, dry iron. 
  3. Insert your needle into your fabric about 1” (2.5 cm) away from the short, square end of your buttonhole. Come up through the buttonhole, keeping a tail that’s approximately 2” (5 cm) long.
  4. Insert your needle about 2 mm (less than ⅛”) away from the overcast edge, going from the bottom of the fabric to the top. Put your needle through the loop that is formed, and pull it through. Make sure to maintain the same orientation each time you’re going through the loop with your needle for even results.
  5. Repeat step 4 all along the first long edge of the buttonhole, until you reach the second short end. Keep your stitches close together, and try your best to maintain an even distance from the overcast edge. Your stitches should cover all the overcasting you’ve done, and the frame you’ve sewn if you chose to sew one in the preparation steps.
  6. When you reach the second end (which will be the rounded one), keep repeating the same stitch, slowly curving around the hole. Maintain an even distance of 2-3 mm (about ⅛”). You may need to make your stitches a little closer to each other to get a nice smooth curve.
  7. Work down the other long side, the same way as the first one, until you reach the second short end. 
  8. When you reach the second, square short end, make 1 or 2 horizontal stitches that bridge the outermost stitches of the long sides. Then, make very short vertical stitches that loop around the horizontal ones you’ve just made to form a bartack. 
  9. Finish by inserting your needle from the top to the bottom. Pull the long tail you’ve left at the very beginning, to the underside, and tie them together in a secure knot. Alternatively, you can finish by taking a short stitch at the back of your work and putting your needle through the loop before pulling it, tying a classic knot. 

How to hand sew a keyhole buttonhole

Description & Uses

A keyhole buttonhole (also called a tailor’s buttonhole) features an additional hole punched out at one of the short ends, giving you a cut hole that resembles a keyhole – hence the name. The punched hole can accommodate the extra width and thickness that comes with large shanks on buttons so that the wider base of the button can rest in the hole without pushing the fibers of the fabric out and causing distortions. It’s usually sewn with a gimp, and used on tailored garments like jackets, waistcoats, overcoats, sleeve vents, etc. 

Step-by-Step Tutorial

  1. Prepare the area by marking, cutting, and overcasting the raw edges as outlined in the section on preparation. Make sure you punch a small hole at one end using a leather hole punch.
  2. If you’re using a gimp, thread it through a needle with a big enough eye and come up from underneath the fabric about 1” (2.5 cm) away from the short, square end of your buttonhole. Go back into the fabric about 1” (2.5 cm) from the other, rounded short end of the buttonhole. The gimp should now be close and parallel to the straight cut you’ve made in your fabric. This will help anchor the gimp into place so that you can more comfortably work around it. You can take the needle out and leave the long tail of the gimp resting under the fabric for now. We’ll take the end out and reposition it once we approach the rounded end.
    1. For the tutorial, I’m using a four-cord gimp made by twisting topstitching thread. It’s much thicker than store-bought gimp, so I couldn’t thread it through the fabric. I’ll be holding the gimp in place using my hands instead, and reorienting it as I need it.
  3. Thread your needle with buttonhole twist or topstitching thread and run it through beeswax. Melt it onto the thread using the warmth of your hands or a hot, dry iron. 
  4. Go into your fabric about 1” (2.5 cm) away from the short, square end of your buttonhole. Come up through the buttonhole, keeping a tail that’s about 2” (5 cm).
  5. Insert your needle about 2 mm (less than ⅛”) away from the overcast edge, going from the underside of the fabric to the top. Keeping the gimp close to the overcast edge, put your needle through the loop that is formed, and pull it through. The gimp should now be trapped in the stitch you’ve made. Make sure to maintain the same orientation each time you’re going through the loop with your needle for even results.
  6. Repeat step 5 all along the first long edge of the buttonhole, until you reach the punched-out hole at the other short end. Keep your stitches close together, and try your best to maintain an even distance from the overcast edge. Your stitches should cover all the overcasting you’ve done.
  7. When you reach the rounded end, keep repeating the same stitch, slowly curving around the hole. Maintain an even distance of 2-3 mm (about ⅛”). You should also reposition your gimp here so that it’s following the rounded shape of this short end.
  8. Work down the other long side, the same way as the first one, until you reach the second short end. Reposition your gimp for a final time so that it’s close and parallel to the second long side. You can once again anchor it into place using a needle and really long stitch, or just hold it in place with your hands.
  9. When you reach the second, square short end, make 1 or 2 horizontal stitches that bridge the outermost stitches of the long sides. Then, make very short vertical stitches that loop around the horizontal ones you’ve just made to form a bartack. 
  10. Finish by inserting your needle from the top to the bottom. Pull the long tail you’ve left at the very beginning, to the underside, and tie them together in a secure knot. Alternatively, you can finish by taking a short stitch at the back of your work and putting your needle through the loop before pulling it, making a classic knot. Pull the two ends of the gimp to the bottom, and snip them off.

Troubleshooting:

  • My stitches look inconsistent and wonky, and they don’t form a straight ridge along the opening of the buttonhole.
    • I found that when you don’t go into the loop with your needle consistently in the same direction, the little purl bumps that form the inner ridge don’t come out uniform and straight. Try to orient yourself so that your needle is always going into the loop created by the stitch you last took from top to bottom, with the upper side of the loop on top.
  • I can see bits of fraying from the fabric poking out between my stitches.
    • This can happen when you’re trying to hand sew a buttonhole on a loosely woven fabric. Hand sewn buttonholes work best on tighter, more closed weaves. 
  • Some of my stitches are too tight and others are too loose.
    • This is caused by uneven tension. As you’re pulling the threads to form the little knots at the edge of the fabric, try to keep an even tension between the stitches. Pull them just tightly enough that the little knot rests flatly against the edge of the fabric. It’ll get better with practice, so try making a few more practice buttonholes.

Hand sewn buttonholes vs machine sewn

Hand sewn buttonholes and machine sewn buttonholes both serve the same purpose, but they differ quite a bit in how they are done and how they look. When using a sewing machine to sew a buttonhole, you sew the buttonhole stitches on the fabric first, and then make a cut in the middle of the frame you’ve created. The tight zigzag stitches that make up the buttonhole prevent the fraying that occurs at the cut edge from traveling too far into the rest of your fabric. In contrast, when you’re hand sewing a buttonhole, you make the cut that will form your buttonhole first, and embroider stitches around it. As you’re wrapping the thread around the cut edge, the raw edges are completely enclosed within your stitching. This makes for a sturdier and more finished looking end product.

The type of stitches that are used in machine sewn vs. hand sewn buttonholes is also different. A sewing machine mostly uses zigzag stitches to form the buttonhole, and you will mainly use a blanket stitch to sew the hand worked buttonhole.

While you will likely get good results on your buttonholes on your first go with a sewing machine, hand sewn buttonholes take quite a bit of practice to get right. Make peace with the fact that your first few buttonholes will probably look bad, and keep practicing before you try to sew one on an actual garment! There’s a saying that it takes 100 buttonholes to get them just right, so be patient with yourself 🙂 In my experience, even doing 5 of them in practice gets you into a pretty good spot.

What to read next:

This article was written by Nisan Aktürk and edited by Sara Maker.

Nisan Aktürk (author)
Nisan started her sewing journey in December 2019 and already has a fully handmade wardrobe. She’s made 50+ trousers, 20+ buttoned shirts, and a wide array of coats, jackets, t-shirts, and jeans. She’s currently studying for her Sociology Master’s degree and is writing a thesis about sewing. So she spends a lot of her time either sewing or thinking/writing about sewing! Read more…