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Blog – sewing tips and haberdashery guides

Practical guides to buttons, zippers, elastics, labels, ribbons and all sewing accessories – sizes, types and how to attach them.

Hypoallergenic Buttons: Which Materials Are Safe for Sensitive Skin Hypoallergenic Buttons: Which Materials Are Safe for Sensitive Skin Hypoallergenic buttons matter for more than comfort: for people with contact dermatitis they are a health issue. Read more → What Is My Button Made Of? How to Identify Button Materials What Is My Button Made Of? How to Identify Button Materials Knowing how to identify button material is useful for vintage sellers, tailors hunting for a replacement and brands checking a supplier's sample. Read more → Why Buttons Break in the Washing Machine (and How to Prevent It) Why Buttons Break in the Washing Machine (and How to Prevent It) Why do buttons break in the wash? It is one of those small annoyances that keeps coming back: you pull out a... Read more → Dry Cleaning and Buttons: How to Protect Natural Buttons Dry Cleaning and Buttons: How to Protect Natural Buttons Can dry cleaning ruin buttons? It looks harmless: no water-filled drum, no spin cycle. Read more → Faux Horn, Faux Shell, Faux Corozo: When Imitation Buttons Make Sense Faux Horn, Faux Shell, Faux Corozo: When Imitation Buttons Make Sense Faux horn buttons, imitation shell and faux corozo are often seen as a compromise, yet for many garments polyester is simply the... Read more → Why Are Natural Buttons More Expensive? Button Price Factors Why Are Natural Buttons More Expensive? Button Price Factors Button price factors are rarely obvious from a catalogue: two buttons of the same diameter can differ several times over in price... Read more → How to Stain Wooden Buttons to Match Your Fabric: A Step-by-Step Guide How to Stain Wooden Buttons to Match Your Fabric: A Step-by-Step Guide Knowing how to stain wood buttons is a simple way to get a perfect match with your fabric when no ready-made button... Read more → Which Wood Makes the Best Buttons? Olive, Beech, Walnut and Maple Compared Which Wood Makes the Best Buttons? Olive, Beech, Walnut and Maple Compared The best wood for buttons depends on what you need, because the species determines grain, hardness, colour and even how well a... Read more → Leather Buttons: Woven Football, Knot and Covered Styles, Uses and Alternatives Leather Buttons: Woven Football, Knot and Covered Styles, Uses and Alternatives Leather buttons are one of the most recognisable details in classic menswear — the woven football button on a tweed jacket, the... Read more → Horn vs Bone Buttons: How They Differ and Which Modern Alternative to Choose Horn vs Bone Buttons: How They Differ and Which Modern Alternative to Choose Horn vs bone buttons is a comparison many designers get wrong, because both materials are animal-derived, range from cream to brown and... Read more → Tagua, the Vegetable Ivory: Why Corozo Is a Sustainable Button Material Tagua, the Vegetable Ivory: Why Corozo Is a Sustainable Button Material Tagua, also known as vegetable ivory, is the seed of a South American palm and the raw material behind corozo buttons. Read more → Why Corozo Buttons Crack at the Dry Cleaner and How to Prevent It Why Corozo Buttons Crack at the Dry Cleaner and How to Prevent It Corozo buttons cracking after dry cleaning is one of the most frustrating problems on expensive coats, jackets and trousers. Read more → Custom logo buttons and snaps: how to build a consistent branded hardware set Custom logo buttons and snaps: how to build a consistent branded hardware set Custom logo buttons are the most recognisable form of branding after the label – but they are rarely the only metal detail... Read more → Corozo Button Colours: Dyeing, Marbled Effect and Matching to Fabric Corozo Button Colours: Dyeing, Marbled Effect and Matching to Fabric Corozo button colors are a favourite of brands that want a natural material but do not want to stop at beige and... Read more → Are Shell Buttons Sustainable? Trochus Harvesting, Quotas and Responsible Sourcing Are Shell Buttons Sustainable? Trochus Harvesting, Quotas and Responsible Sourcing Are shell buttons sustainable? The question sounds easy: mother-of-pearl is a natural, biodegradable, plastic-free material. Read more → How Mother-of-Pearl Buttons Are Made: From Shell to Finished Button How Mother-of-Pearl Buttons Are Made: From Shell to Finished Button How are shell buttons made? Making mother-of-pearl buttons is one of the few trim processes that still relies heavily on hands-on control. Read more → Replace Plastic Buttons With Horn or Corozo: The Cheap Upgrade for a Luxury Look Replace Plastic Buttons With Horn or Corozo: The Cheap Upgrade for a Luxury Look If you want to replace plastic buttons with horn, corozo or shell, you are onto one of the cheapest ways to make... Read more → Can You Wash Wooden Buttons? A Care Guide for Every Natural Button Material Can You Wash Wooden Buttons? A Care Guide for Every Natural Button Material Can you wash wooden buttons? Yes, you can, as long as you avoid the four things that really damage natural materials: long... Read more → Shank Buttons: What They Are, Types and When to Use Them Shank Buttons: What They Are, Types and When to Use Them Shank buttons have a small loop or projection on the back that you sew through, instead of holes through the face. Read more → How to Clean and Polish Brass Blazer Buttons How to Clean and Polish Brass Blazer Buttons Knowing how to clean brass buttons is a small ritual that brings the shine back to a navy blazer, a uniform or... Read more → How to Remove Rust Stains Left by Buttons and Snaps on Clothes How to Remove Rust Stains Left by Buttons and Snaps on Clothes If you need to remove a rust stain from clothes, chances are it sits right around a jeans button, a jacket snap... Read more → Why Metal Buttons Rust or Tarnish, and How to Prevent It Why Metal Buttons Rust or Tarnish, and How to Prevent It Metal buttons rusting is one of the most frustrating faults on clothing: a reddish stain around a jacket snap, a darkened rivet... Read more → Nickel Allergy from Jeans Buttons: Symptoms and Fixes Nickel Allergy from Jeans Buttons: Symptoms and Fixes A jeans button nickel allergy is so common that dermatologists recognise it at a glance: an itchy red patch right below the... Read more → Nickel-Free Buttons and Snaps: What It Really Means Nickel-Free Buttons and Snaps: What It Really Means Nickel free buttons are in growing demand from childrenswear, denim and lingerie brands, but the "nickel free" label doesn't always mean the... Read more →