Did you know that most sewing machines will create a buttonhole out of stitching? In this How to Sew a Buttonhole with a Brother Sewing Machine tutorial, we will walk through the process of how to do just that! Then you will be able to use our companion tutorials for sewing buttons (How to Sew a Two-hole Button by Hand or How to Sew a Button on a Brother Sewing Machine). You will be able to add buttons to any and all projects that need them!
Let’s get to sewing some buttonholes! There are craft projects as well as clothing mishaps that will necessitate the need for a fresh buttonhole or even just re-enforcing a buttonhole. Perhaps you have the perfect bag and the flap just won’t stay closed, adding a button and buttonhole will help it to be even better! Our goal here at Happiest Camper is to provide you with DIYs and Tutorials to make your life better, more simple, and perhaps even easier!
Sewing machine disclaimer:
Every sewing machine has different settings, features, and tools. Your machine may differ slightly from this tutorial. This should be the general “gist” of how to use your machine to sew a button, but please refer to your specific manual for directions for your individual machine. This was sewn on a Brother CS6000i – a wonderful, budget-friendly option for a sewing machine!
What You’ll Need:
- Button (for sizing purposes)
- Fabric
- Coordinating Thread
- Pen
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
- Buttonhole Foot
This tutorial is shown with a scrap piece of fabric and a spare button. It is sometimes helpful to practice with spare materials before attempting the final project. In our other tutorial, we show you How to Sew a Button with a Brother Sewing Machine. Be sure to check that out as well to complete all your button projects!
How To Sew A Buttonhole With A Brother Sewing Machine
It is always important to consult your sewing machine owner’s manual. This tutorial will give you a general overview of how the process works, but your specific manual will give you specifics for your particular machine. These will be helpful to reference when things might be a little different than this tutorial.
Go ahead and load your machine with whatever color top and bobbin thread you’d like for your buttonhole. It is recommended to use the same color. Also, your sewing machine should come with various accessories and presser feet. You will need the buttonhole foot, which looks like this photo. We will attach it in a moment.
Go ahead and locate the buttonhole stitch on your machine.
My sewing machine shows a picture that looks like this, but your manual will list the specific number. Set your machine to this stitch.
At the back end of your presser foot, there is a slider. Fit your button in this slot and tighten or loosen the slider to fit your button. Be careful when you take it out that you don’t move the slider! This will be the setting for your machine to know how long to make the buttonhole, so it is important to
make sure it is precise.
Next, on your fabric that you will sew the hole on, use chalk or laundry pen to mark the beginning and end of the button in the spot it needs to be sewn. I used a bright blue pen just for viewing purposes, but you won’t want it to show.
The next step in how to sew a buttonhole with brother sewing machine is to attach your presser foot to your machine. Again, follow your machine’s specific instructions. For my machine, I simply place the foot under the presser foot arm and lower it down onto the bar it will clip to and it clips automatically.
My machine also requires the buttonhole lever to be pulled down next to the presser foot – as shown in the photo. We are about halfway through the How to Sew a Buttonhole with a Brother Sewing Machine Tutorial. And the good news is that the rest of the steps are super easy!
On your presser foot, there should be a little “window” where you need to position the bottom of your button mark on the fabric. It should line up with the little red marks around the window.
Gently hold the top thread in your hand and begin sewing. You can go a little slower if you’d like, but the machine will do all of the work. It should stitch up one side and around the other side.
Once the machine has finished stitching the buttonhole, use your reinforcement option to sew a couple of reinforcing stitches to finish the hole.
Next, snip your thread and remove the fabric from the machine.
Then, insert a pin across the end of your buttonhole. This will ensure you don’t rip through the stitches when opening the hole.
Finally, using a seam ripper (most machines come with one of these), carefully rip the fabric in the center of the buttonhole.
You don’t want to rip any stitches! This will create the hole for the button to slip through.
You’re all done! Now you can add a buttonhole to any project that needs one. Or maybe you have a buttonhole on some clothing that is fraid, this would help reinforce the opening. Use our companion tutorial How to Sew a Button with a Brother Sewing Machine to sew your buttons back on with your sewing machine as well!
If you liked this how to sew a button with a Brother sewing machine tutorial, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board or share it with friends on social media. If you decide to use this tutorial, take a picture afterward and tag us on social media as we love seeing the how others use these tutorials.
How to Sew a Buttonhole with a Brother Sewing Machine
Did you know that most sewing machines will help you sew a buttonhole? This is perfect for projects requiring a button attachment. Or maybe you need to fix some buttonholes that have seen better days! This tutorial is specific to a Brother Sewing machine but will give you guidance on how to do this with just about any machine. Always consult your machine's manual for specifics.
Materials
- Fabric/Clothes
- Matching thread
- Button
Instructions
- Go ahead and load your machine with whatever color top and bobbin thread you’d like for your buttonhole.
- Locate the buttonhole stitch on your machine. Set your machine to this stitch.
- At the back end of your presser foot, there is a slider. Fit your button in this slot and tighten or loosen the slider to fit your button.
- On your fabric that you will sew the hole on, use chalk or laundry pen to mark the beginning and end of the button in the spot it needs to be sewn.
- Attach your presser foot to your machine.
- Gently hold the top thread in your hand and begin sewing.
- Once the machine has finished stitching the buttonhole, use your reinforcement option to sew a couple of reinforcing stitches to finish the hole.
- Snip your thread and remove the fabric from the machine.
- Insert a pin across the end of your buttonhole. This will ensure you don’t rip through the stitches when opening the hole.
- Using a seam ripper to create the hole.
- You’re all done!
Notes
Sewing machine disclaimer:
Every sewing machine has different settings, features, and tools. Your machine may differ slightly from this tutorial. This should be the general “gist” of how to use your machine to sew a buttonhole and a button,
but please refer to your specific manual for directions for your individual machine. This was sewn on a Brother CS6000i – a wonderful, budget-friendly option for a sewing machine!
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