How to: Make a cross stitched button

Last time I showed you how to add cross stitch to an article of clothing. In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to make a pretty kickass button adorned with cross stitch without needing an expensive button make. It’s quite simple with the proper tools.

You will need:

• cover button kit
• 22-count fabric
• embroidery floss
• small gauge needles (I use 26 gauge)
• a sharp cutting utensil: embroidery scissors work pretty well
• an idea

Most craft stores will stock a cover button kit like this one. You’ll typically find it near the sewing supplies. They’re intended for use on dresses and the like. The idea is that one could precisely match the color of the buttons to the dress by covering these buttons with a piece of fabric leftover from the making of the garment. As it turns out, you can stick a bit of fabric you’ve cross stitched on just as easily.

These cover buttons come in a variety of sizes, but I’ve chosen the 1.5 inch size. This will give me enough room to stitch a standard 16×16 sprite with enough white space to provide balance. The design is going to need to be small enough to leave a bit of room at the edges. A good rule of thumb for a 1.5 inch button is to pick a design 1 inch or smaller.

The first step of course is to stitch your design. Well, technically, the first step is to pick your design and figure out what floss colors you’ll be using. I assuming you’ve already managed to do that. I’m also assuming that you’ve already learned how to cross stitch. You can find some good tutorials online if you need some pointers.

I’m going to be using the Robot Ninja Haggle Man pattern that I posted several days ago. You can too, if you like, as I’ve provided the pattern and floss list. Any small image will work just great.

To maximize the available stitching area I’m using 22-count Hardanger fabric. That means a design 22 stitches in width (or height) will take up 1 inch of fabric on my finished button and look quite smashing on a 1.5 inch button.

Cut the fabric into 2 inch square segments. This packet of Hardanger comes in sheets of 11″×14″ so it’ll make a bunch of buttons. When stitching on 22-count you’ll want to use a single strand of floss rather than the two you may be accustomed to with larger counts.

Stitch the design as usual, using just one strand of floss. A 2 inch square of fabric won’t fit into any hoop, but it’s not really necessary. Don’t bother ironing it yet, because you’re going to need to fold it again in the next step.

The cover button kit will probably have a pattern marked on the back of the cardboard liner. It’s just a semicircle of cardboard with a radius of half the button, or ¾ inch. Fold the completed cross stitch along the flat side and cut around the edge of the pattern.

Now you have a circle of fabric with your design in the center. I slipped up and cut one edge too closely and my circle is pretty sad. It won’t matter in the end. You do need to cut the fabric a little bit though because it needs to fit in between the parts of the cover button.

Inside the cover button kit you’ll find four button halves, a rubber guide, and a small plastic “pusher.” The fabric will be stretched across the top (the rounded bit) and the edges will be sandwiched between that and the bottom (the flat bit). Now, I haven’t done an exhaustive search for every type of button like this so there’s a chance that some don’t come with all these parts. This is the type I’ve found locally.

These buttons are designed to be the sorts of buttons you use on a garment or upholstery. As such, they have a small metal peg for sewing on to something. This is going to get in the way later.

So just rip it off. It can be a tad dicey, and the aluminum back has a tendency to bend. Unless you really mangle it this won’t be a problem. Just get that sucker off of there!

With all the prep work completed, it’s time to assemble. Center the stitched fabric on top of the rubber guide and set the front of the button on top of it. I’ve found this a bit more reliable than trying to center the fabric on top of the front itself.

Push the fabric and the front of the button down into the rubber guide. This stretches the fabric taut across the button. This is what that “pusher” is designed to do, but you can use just about anything.

Fold all the extra bits of fabric sticking out into the center of the button. Set the back of the button on top. Push the back of the button down as far as possible. Friction will hold the entire thing together.

And there you have your completed button, more or less. The loose edges are sandwiched between the two button halves. As you can see, I didn’t do a spectacular job of centering my design. That’s okay. It’s these little imperfections that make it handmade!

These are the best pinbacks I’ve been able to find. I’m not thrilled with them. The spring is terribly finicky and difficult to keep straight while pinning. They get the job done, and they’re a snap to affix. These pins have an adhesive back that I can attest holds tight. Just peel off the backing and stick it on.

At this point you could also opt to make a pretty awesome little magnet too. You should be able to find self-adhesive magnets in your local craft store. With the proper glue any old magnet should work just fine. I’ll have to give that a shot someday soon.

There you have it. One slightly off-centered but totally handmade Robot Ninja Haggleman button. Pretty cool, right?