How to Sew a Buttonhole: Machine and Hand Methods

The buttonhole is a small detail with outsized impact. A clean buttonhole reads as a polished garment; a wonky one undoes the work of every other careful step. This is the project detail that separates a finished shirt from a finished-looking shirt.

The good news: modern sewing machines do most of the work. A 1-step automatic buttonhole on a mid-range machine produces consistent results once you’ve done two or three to dial in the settings. The bad news: even the best machine can produce a bad buttonhole on the wrong fabric, with the wrong needle, at the wrong density. The execution is mostly what matters.

This guide covers the four buttonhole types you might use: automatic machine, manual 4-step machine, hand-stitched, and bound. Plus the troubleshooting steps for when buttonholes go wrong.

Buttonhole anatomy

A buttonhole has three parts:

• Bartacks: dense satin stitching at each end, perpendicular to the buttonhole.
• Sides: closely spaced zigzag on either long edge.
• Slit: the actual opening in the centre, cut after stitching.

The spacing between rows of zigzag, the bartack density, and the size of the slit all combine to determine whether the buttonhole functions and looks right. A good buttonhole has dense enough stitching that the fabric won’t fray through it, with a slit large enough to admit the button but no larger.

Buttonhole length should equal: the diameter of the button plus the thickness of the button. For a flat 1.5 cm shirt button (3 mm thick), that’s 1.8 cm. For a 2 cm chunky coat button (8 mm thick), that’s 2.8 cm.

Always test on scrap fabric matching your project before sewing on the real garment.

Method 1: Automatic 1-step buttonhole

Most sewing machines made after about 2005 have this feature. You insert the button into a buttonhole foot, the foot reads the button size, and the machine produces a complete buttonhole automatically.

Equipment

• A 1-step buttonhole foot (came with most modern machines).
• A standard universal needle, size 80/12 for most fabrics.
• All-purpose polyester or cotton thread.

Process

1. Mark buttonhole position on the fabric with a fabric marker. Mark both ends of the planned buttonhole.
2. Stabilise the fabric. For shirts and most garments, the buttonhole should be sewn through interfacing. If your interfacing is too thin, add a layer of tear-away stabiliser underneath.
3. Set the button size by clipping the button into the buttonhole foot’s holder. The foot adjusts to the button’s diameter.
4. Select the buttonhole stitch on your machine. Most have multiple buttonhole patterns (rectangular, keyhole, rounded); start with the standard rectangular for shirts.
5. Position the fabric with the start of the buttonhole under the needle.
6. Lower the buttonhole lever if your machine has one (this signals the machine when to stop).
7. Press the foot pedal and let the machine sew. It will stitch one side, the bartack at the far end, the other side, the bartack at the near end, and stop.
8. Cut the slit with a buttonhole chisel (best) or a small sharp seam ripper inserted carefully. Place a pin perpendicular to the slit at each bartack to prevent over-cutting.

Common 1-step buttonhole problems

• Buttonhole too long or too short: the button wasn’t seated properly in the foot. Reseat the button, ensuring it’s all the way back in the holder.
• Stitches not dense enough: the stitch length is too long. Shorten to 0.3–0.5 mm for satin-stitched sides.
• Fabric pulled into the bobbin area: needs more stabiliser. Add tear-away or wash-away stabiliser under the fabric.
• Buttonholes inconsistent across multiple holes: machine tension or needle issue. Re-thread the upper and bobbin, change the needle, and try again.

Method 2: Manual 4-step buttonhole

Older or basic machines often have a 4-step buttonhole instead of a 1-step. You sew each section separately, advancing a dial between steps.

The four steps:

1. Set machine to “buttonhole step 1” — typically the left side of the buttonhole, sewing forward.
2. Set machine to “buttonhole step 2” — the bartack at the far end.
3. Set machine to “buttonhole step 3” — the right side, sewing in reverse.
4. Set machine to “buttonhole step 4” — the bartack at the near end.

This requires more attention but works on any zigzag-capable machine. Many vintage and inexpensive machines use this method exclusively.

Tip: mark the buttonhole length first

Because you’re controlling each segment manually, you need clear visual cues. Mark the start and end of the buttonhole on the fabric. Stop sewing the side stitching exactly at your marks before switching to the bartack step.

Method 3: Hand-stitched buttonhole

A hand-worked buttonhole — stitched with buttonhole thread and a needle, bartack to bartack, by hand — is a couture detail. Slow, but durable and beautiful.

When to use it

• Couture or heirloom garments.
• Tailored jackets and coats where buttonholes are visible features.
• Garments where the machine buttonhole can’t access the location (rare).
• When you want to add a hand-finished signature to an otherwise machine-sewn garment.

Process summary

1. Cut the slit first.
2. Whip-stitch around the slit to stabilise the cut edge.
3. Work buttonhole stitch (a knotted edge stitch) around the entire perimeter, with the knots facing outward.
4. Add bartacks at each end with denser stitching.

A full hand-buttonhole can take 20–40 minutes per buttonhole. For most home sewing, the machine version is fine. Reserve hand buttonholes for projects that warrant the time. Our 10 essential hand stitches covers the buttonhole stitch in more detail.

Method 4: Bound buttonhole

A bound buttonhole has a fabric strip framing the slit instead of stitched edges. Common on tailored coats and high-end jackets.

When to use it

• Tailored coats and jackets in heavy wool or boucle, where machine buttonholes look bulky or out of place.
• Any time you want a couture-style buttonhole visible as a design feature.

Process summary

1. Cut a small rectangle of self-fabric or contrast fabric.
2. Centre it over the buttonhole position, right sides together.
3. Sew a rectangle around the buttonhole position through both layers.
4. Cut the slit through both layers, including diagonal cuts to the corners of the stitched rectangle.
5. Turn the fabric strip through the slit and arrange it so it forms a frame around the buttonhole.
6. Press carefully and tack down on the back.

Bound buttonholes are intermediate-to-advanced sewing. Recommended only after you’re comfortable with machine buttonholes. Closet Core Patterns has a detailed tutorial worth working through if you’re attempting this for the first time.

Sewing buttons to match

Buttons should be sewn so they pass through the buttonhole easily, but not so loose that the garment gapes. Two practical tips:

• Use a thread shank: place a toothpick or matchstick across the top of the button while sewing through the holes, then remove it before tying off. The slack created becomes the shank, allowing the button to sit slightly raised when buttoned through. Without this shank, the buttonhole can pucker around the closed button.
• Reinforce with extra thread: pass through each hole at least 4 times (8 stitches across the button). A single-stitched button comes off after the first wash.

For full button-sewing technique, the slip stitch and basic hand-sewing methods are in our hand stitches guide.

Buttonhole placement on a shirt

Standard rules:

• Vertical buttonholes on the placket of a button-front shirt — they point up and down along the placket.
• Horizontal buttonholes at the bust point on women’s blouses (prevents gaping at the bust).
• Spacing: typically 8–10 cm apart on a women’s shirt, 7–9 cm on a men’s shirt. Equally spaced from the top button to the hem.
• Top button: 1.5–2 cm below the collar stand on a button-front shirt.
• Bust point button: positioned directly at the fullest point of the bust to prevent gaping.

For more on shirt construction, our button-front shirt project walks through all of this in context.

Common buttonhole problems and fixes

The fabric jams in the bobbin area

Solution: more stabiliser. Tear-away stabiliser underneath the fabric solves 90% of jams.

The buttonhole length is wrong

Solution: re-test on scrap. Adjust the button positioning in the foot or recalibrate the buttonhole length manually.

The slit cut into the bartacks

Solution: place a pin perpendicular to the slit at each bartack before cutting. The pin stops the cutting tool. Use a buttonhole chisel rather than a seam ripper for cleaner cuts.

The buttonhole shape is uneven

Solution: the machine tension is off, or the buttonhole foot isn’t seated properly. Re-thread, re-seat, and try on scrap.

The fabric frays through the buttonhole

Solution: stitch density too low (lengthen each stitch slightly) or fabric too loose-weave. Add a thin layer of fusible interfacing under buttonhole positions.

Closing thought

The buttonhole is the most-feared technique in beginner sewing. In practice, with a 1-step machine and decent stabiliser, it’s one of the easier specialty techniques — most beginners can produce passable buttonholes on the third or fourth try. The key is testing on scrap fabric in the same weight, with the same stabiliser, before committing to the real garment.

Once you’ve made twenty buttonholes, you’ll forget you used to find them intimidating. They become just another step in shirt and jacket construction.

For where buttonholes fit in the sequence of beginner sewing, see our complete beginner’s guide to sewing.