Guides
How to sew a buttonhole on a sewing machine
Two methods, depending on your machine. One takes a lever and a pass. The other takes four passes and your own judgement.
By Michael W. · Published
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Quick picks
The short answer. Every pick is explained in full below, including who should skip it.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brother CS7000XSeven one-step styles, sized from the button you drop in. | Best buttonholes | 8.2 | |
| 2 |  Brother XR9550Eight one-step styles, including keyhole and stretch. | Most buttonhole styles | 7.7 | |
| 3 |  Singer Heavy Duty 4423One style, but the one you need, on a machine for thick fabric. | Best one-step on a metal frame | 7.8 |
Scores are our editorial judgment on six axes, explained on the methodology page. We do not run a test lab and never claim to.
On a machine with a one-step buttonhole, you drop the button into the back of the buttonhole foot, lower the buttonhole lever behind the needle, select the buttonhole stitch, and sew. The machine measures the button, sews both sides and both bar tacks to the correct length, and stops. It takes about fifteen seconds.
On a machine with a four-step buttonhole, you sew each of the four parts yourself, turning a dial between them, and you decide where each one stops. It takes a couple of minutes and one practice run to learn. Both methods produce a good buttonhole; one of them does the thinking for you.
Before either: work out the length. A buttonhole needs to be the diameter of the button plus its thickness, plus about 3mm of ease. Measure, write it down, and sew a test buttonhole on a doubled scrap of the actual fabric with the actual interfacing. Every buttonhole that comes out too tight was made by someone who skipped the test.
The one-step method
1. Interface the area. A buttonhole in unstabilised fabric stretches and frays. A small square of fusible interfacing behind it is not optional on anything light.
2. Mark the position and direction. Vertical buttonholes on a placket, horizontal where the garment will pull - horizontal ones resist a button popping out under strain.
3. Fit the buttonhole foot and put the button in the holder at the back. The machine reads its length from that slider.
4. Pull the buttonhole lever down so it sits behind the bracket on the foot. If you forget this, the machine sews one side forever - which is the most common one-step failure.
5. Select the buttonhole stitch, line the mark up with the foot, and sew at a steady slow speed until the machine stops itself.
The four-step method
Four passes, and the dial positions are usually numbered 1 to 4 on the stitch selector.
Step 1 sews the left side, forward, to the length you have marked. Stop at your mark.
Step 2 sews the bar tack across the end - a few wide zigzag stitches in place.
Step 3 sews the right side, back up to where you started.
Step 4 sews the second bar tack to close the other end.
The judgement is in step 1: the length is yours to control, so mark both ends with tailor’s chalk before you start and stop at the mark rather than by eye. Sew all four buttonholes on a garment through the same step before moving to the next one, and they come out consistent.
What each method asks of you.
Cutting it open without ruining it
This is where finished buttonholes get destroyed, and it is entirely avoidable.
Push a pin through the fabric just inside each bar tack, across the buttonhole. Those pins are a stop: whatever you cut with cannot travel past them into the bar tack. Then use the seam ripper that came with your machine, or small sharp scissors, and cut from the middle outwards to each pin.
A dab of fray stopper or clear nail varnish along the cut edge, left to dry before you cut, stops a light fabric fraying. On anything loosely woven that is worth the two minutes.
When it goes wrong
The machine sews one side and will not stop. The buttonhole lever is not pulled down, or it is not sitting behind the bracket on the foot.
The sides are different lengths. You helped the fabric along. Let the feed dogs do the work - pulling or holding back changes the length of one pass.
The stitches are thin and gappy. The stitch density is set too low, or the fabric is unstabilised and stretching under the needle. Add interfacing and shorten the stitch.
The buttonhole is too tight for the button. The length was measured across the button only, without adding its thickness. A thick shirt button needs noticeably more than its diameter.
It skips stitches or jams on thick fabric. That is a needle and a machine question rather than a buttonhole one - see skipped stitches and denim settings.
Does the buttonhole mechanism matter when buying?
More than almost any other single feature at the beginner end, yes - and more than the stitch count. A one-step buttonhole is the feature new sewers most often wish they had paid for, because the four-step is the step where a first garment stalls. Our XM2701 against the M1500 is that exact decision, and how to choose a machine puts it in the context of everything else.
Machines with the buttonhole sorted
One-step buttonholes, with the styles that are genuinely useful on garments.
Brother CS7000X
Seven one-step buttonhole styles, sized automatically from the button in the foot.
Skip it if You want physical dials instead of a menu, or you will be sewing canvas, upholstery or leather regularly.
Brother XR9550
Eight one-step styles including keyhole and stretch - useful on real garments.
Skip it if You would rather put the difference toward fabric - you will use a fraction of the stitch library.
Singer Heavy Duty 4423
One one-step buttonhole on a metal-framed machine, so thick plackets are no problem.
Skip it if You mostly want gentle control on light fabrics, or a quiet machine for an apartment.
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The picks in full
01 - Best buttonholes
Brother CS7000X
Does the fiddly parts for you so you can spend your energy learning to sew.
- 70 built-in stitches, 7 one-step buttonholes
- Automatic needle threader, drop-in top bobbin
- Speed-control slider
- Wide table and 10 presser feet included
- Get it if
- You want threading, buttonholes and stitch settings handled by the machine, and you might try quilting later - the wide table is already in the box.
- Skip it if
- You want physical dials instead of a menu, or you will be sewing canvas, upholstery or leather regularly.
The trade-off
Light and mostly plastic. That makes it easy to carry and quiet on cottons and mid-weights; it is not built for heavy layers every day.
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How the Brother CS7000X scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 9/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 8/10
- Thick fabric
- 6/10
- Beginner features
- 9/10
- Durability reputation
- 7/10
- Help for this exact model
- 10/10
Overall 8.2/10
02 - Most buttonhole styles
Brother XR9550
More stitches and a bigger screen than the CS7000X, for the same job.
- 110 built-in stitches, 8 one-step buttonhole styles
- LCD display and stitch selection
- Wide table included
- Automatic threader, drop-in bobbin
- Get it if
- You want the CS7000X's convenience with a larger display and more decorative stitches.
- Skip it if
- You would rather put the difference toward fabric - you will use a fraction of the stitch library.
The trade-off
The extra stitches are decorative. The real difference from the CS7000X is the display, and the CS7000X's speed slider is arguably worth more to a beginner.
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How the Brother XR9550 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 9/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 8/10
- Thick fabric
- 6/10
- Beginner features
- 8/10
- Durability reputation
- 7/10
- Help for this exact model
- 8/10
Overall 7.7/10
03 - Best one-step on a metal frame
Singer Heavy Duty 4423
Fast, sturdy and simple - the machine for denim hems and tote bags.
- Metal interior frame, stainless steel bedplate
- 1,100 stitches per minute
- 23 stitches, one-step buttonhole, automatic threader
- Extra-high presser foot lift for thick layers
- Get it if
- You want physical dials, you plan to sew jeans, canvas or several layers, and you do not mind a machine that is loud and quick.
- Skip it if
- You mostly want gentle control on light fabrics, or a quiet machine for an apartment.
The trade-off
Heavy duty means a metal frame and a fast motor, not an industrial machine. It handles denim well; real leather is still a struggle.
#ad - opens Amazon in a new tab. How we earn
How the Singer Heavy Duty 4423 scores
Our judgment on the six axes described on the methodology page. Not measurements - we do not run a test lab.
- Setup and threading
- 7/10
- Everyday stitch quality
- 8/10
- Thick fabric
- 9/10
- Beginner features
- 6/10
- Durability reputation
- 8/10
- Help for this exact model
- 9/10
Overall 7.8/10
Questions beginners actually ask
How do you sew a buttonhole on a sewing machine?
On a one-step machine, put the button in the holder on the buttonhole foot, pull the buttonhole lever down behind the bracket, select the buttonhole stitch and sew until the machine stops itself. On a four-step machine you sew each side and each bar tack separately, turning the dial between the four passes.
How long should a buttonhole be?
The diameter of the button plus its thickness, plus about 3mm of ease. Measuring across the button alone is why buttonholes come out too tight - a thick shirt button needs noticeably more than its diameter. Always sew a test on a doubled scrap of the same fabric.
What is the difference between a one-step and four-step buttonhole?
A one-step buttonhole sews all four parts in a single pass, taking its length from the button you put in the foot. A four-step asks you to sew each side and each bar tack separately, turning a dial between them, and to judge the length yourself.
Why does my machine keep sewing one side of the buttonhole?
The buttonhole lever behind the needle is not pulled down, or it is not sitting behind the bracket on the buttonhole foot. That lever is how the machine knows where it is in the cycle, and forgetting it is the most common one-step failure.
How do I cut a buttonhole open without cutting too far?
Push a pin through the fabric across the buttonhole just inside each bar tack, so your blade cannot travel past it. Then cut from the middle outwards to each pin with a seam ripper or small sharp scissors.
Do I need interfacing for a buttonhole?
On anything light, yes. Without a small square of fusible interfacing behind it the fabric stretches under the needle, which makes the stitching gappy, and the cut edge frays in wear. On heavy fabric or an already-interfaced placket you can skip it.
Sources
Specifications are taken from manufacturer listings. We do not run a test lab and never claim to - how each machine is assessed is set out on our methodology page.