Confident beginner · 30 minutes · 7 steps
How to sew a buttonhole
Modern machines sew the buttonhole for you. The skill is in the two things the machine can't decide: how long the hole needs to be, and where on the garment each one goes. Get those right and buttonholes stop being the step everyone dreads.
Why it's worth learning
Buttonholes finish shirts, shirt dresses, cuffs, plackets and waistbands. They are also the only closure that needs no notions beyond the buttons themselves.
What you'll need
- Buttonhole foot for your machine
- A seam ripper and a pin, or a buttonhole chisel
- Fusible interfacing behind every buttonhole
- Fray stopper (optional but useful on loose weaves)
Fabric notes
- Always interface the area first — an uninterfaced buttonhole stretches into a slot within weeks.
- On loose weaves, add a second layer of light interfacing rather than one heavy one.
- Test on a scrap of the exact same layers as the garment, not on a single layer.
The steps, in order
- 01
Work out the buttonhole length
The hole needs to be the button's diameter plus its thickness, plus about 3 mm of ease. A thick shank button needs a noticeably longer hole than a flat one of the same width.
- 02
Interface, then test on a scrap
Sew a test buttonhole through the same number of layers as the finished garment and slide the button through it. Adjust before you touch the real piece.
- 03
Place the bust buttonhole first
On anything that buttons down the front, mark one buttonhole at the fullest part of the bust, then space the others evenly outwards from it. This is what stops a shirt gaping.
- 04
Mark every buttonhole from the same edge
Measure each one the same distance in from the finished front edge. Any variation here is instantly visible when the garment is buttoned.
- 05
Sew them all in the same direction
Horizontal on waistbands and cuffs, vertical on plackets. Consistency in direction and start point keeps them looking machine-made.
- 06
Cut open with a pin as a stop
Push a pin across the far end of the buttonhole, then cut towards it with a seam ripper. The pin stops the blade before it slices through the bar tack.
- 07
Seal the edges if needed
On fabric that frays, run a thin line of fray stopper along the cut edges and let it dry before pressing.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Sizing the hole to the button's width only
Thick buttons then won't pass through, or you force them and stretch the hole out of shape.
Spacing from the top down
The gap then falls in the wrong place and the garment pulls open across the bust.
Cutting without a stop pin
One slip and the buttonhole cuts through its own end — a repair that almost always shows.
Practise it on a project
Want the steps for your own project?
Add a photo of the garment you have in mind and the Sewing Guide writes the whole plan around your measurements, your fabric and your experience level.