DIY Wedding

How to Make Dorset Buttons

Diane Gilleland, contributor

719 users recommend

Dorset buttons have a long history. With a little practice, you can make them in lots of variations.

Diane Gilleland

This kind of button makes a cute embellishment for all kinds of knit and crocheted garments.

Diane Gilleland

You can make your Dorset buttons with embroidery floss for a glossy finish, or wool yarn for something softer looking.  

Diane Gilleland

Dorset buttons have a long history. With a little practice, you can make them in lots of variations.

Photo: Diane Gilleland

Add Comment
Print

The Dorset button has a long history, originating in the 18th century in Dorset, England. Originally, they were made on a disc cut from the horn of a Dorset Horn sheep, which was covered with needle-worked thread. Later, button makers began using metal rings as the basis for these buttons. We're going to make a simple form of Dorset button called a crosswheel, but there are lots of different styles, some of them involving intricate weaving. Once you have these basics down, experiment—the British Button Society offers some inspiration.

What you'll need:

• Plastic bone rings (see note below)
• Yarn or embroidery floss (see note below)
• Scissors
• Large-eyed, blunt needle

A note on yarns and flosses: You can make Dorset buttons with all kinds of yarns or embroidery flosses. In the photo at the top of this post, you can see buttons made with six-strand embroidery floss, pearl cotton embroidery thread, worsted wool yarn, and cotton crochet thread.

I'll be making a button here with some pearl cotton, because it's crisp and easy to see. For your first buttons, however, I'd recommend using a worsted-weight yarn—it works up much more quickly.

Learn how to make buttons: • How to Crochet a Button • How to Make Singleton Buttons • Make Your Own Buttons from Polymer Clay • How to Embroider Your Own Buttons

Hold the end of the thread against the ring.

View 3 member project galleries

my crafty first...
Wispymisty

Pendant Dorset...
chicsinglemomma

Dorset Button Hair...
akkadesign

Add Comment Print

Comments (47)

EchoLin writes: Great idea, love them.
Posted: 2:56 am on April 16th

Lola2001 writes: These look really great but look very hard to make
Posted: 8:04 pm on February 9th

princessdg writes: please tell us which kind of buttons you STARTED with?

Posted: 1:32 pm on January 14th

ngetsxai writes: nice buttons, how to make that?
Posted: 1:15 am on September 26th

Doggirl3 writes: Thanks for the tutorial cute buttons.
Posted: 4:22 pm on April 26th

shawnajo writes:
Posted: 5:11 pm on January 27th

turningchain writes: these are awesome!
Posted: 8:36 am on January 24th

craftybegonia writes: Really nice, and it provides such an open door to creativity!
Posted: 5:19 pm on December 7th

TrimBowRibbon writes: Good, more ribbons and thread in www.trimbworibbon.com
Posted: 12:32 am on November 9th

belleeven writes: how festive! and the shape could become a number things to go with any style (snow-flake, umbrella, bicycle wheel, turtle shell, polka dot, eye ball, monogrammed button...) - what a great, easy way to customize your buttons. thank you! :)
Posted: 3:52 am on October 3rd

mslear writes: This is a great idea. I am sorry the instructions do not include the picture at the beginning of the article. Since I am on a limited income, it would be very nice to have the printed instructions with smaller pictures and type so that I would not need to print 11 pages. The items on page 11 could have been added to the bottom of page 10 very easily.
Thank you for a very good idea.
Posted: 4:35 pm on September 9th

sunny808 writes: These are so pretty. I've seen these on sweaters and always wanted to learn how to make them. Thanks for the tutorial showing me how to do it.
Posted: 2:03 am on August 20th

Whatchamacallit writes: I'm a fan. Will definitely make some of these. So many possibilities! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted: 10:36 pm on May 19th

keridog writes: just made four of these today and attached key rings Hopefully will be able to sell them at the country market on thursday
www.stitchesfromwales.com
Posted: 5:46 pm on May 2nd

samsstuff writes: I remember making something like this, as a child. Thanks for the reminder about these fun buttons!
Posted: 10:59 pm on March 11th

KellyKlem writes: These are FANTASTIC!
Posted: 5:47 pm on March 11th

BarbinParis writes: Great tutorial, I can't wait to try. Do you think I could eventually use the plastic rings from water bottles? My mission is to find uses for all sorts of stuff like that, that ends up in landfill and in the oceans. Perhaps you could give me a pointer or two on how to do that (those rings are not as sturdy as the ones you use in your buttons).

thanks again!
Posted: 10:42 am on March 10th

doodah_mama writes: I have been making these for about a month now! I searched for hours to find a way to "make" buttons after I got tired of making Singleton buttons. Though time-consuming, they get easier and allow room for creativity. Thank you for posting!
Posted: 7:22 am on March 6th

KnittingBirdy writes: Why can't I print this out? It will only print the first page.

Great method and great instructions. I would love to share it with my knitting group.

Posted: 11:17 pm on November 2nd

PattianneM writes: WOW, a neat craft to use instead of the hours surfing trying to find the perfect button for a crocheted outfit!
Posted: 1:31 pm on February 21st

queenietoo writes: What a wonderful idea very neat
Posted: 6:54 pm on October 29th

sllvncookie writes: Sundays Child wrote thought were condoms ,can't you see going store ask for one ole time pretty condoms,,lol,lol,lol,--Cookie
Posted: 10:27 pm on September 30th

NancyWard writes: Hi!

Today I posted an entry on my blog with a link to this tutorial.

Would you let me know if that's OK?\

Thanks,

Nancy Ward
http://paperfriendly.blogspot.com
Posted: 9:22 pm on July 21st

launenat writes: Hello, my name is Laura, I love your page, my revenue is terrible and I have resorted to an online translator, I put a link to my site: wwwt.tialaurita.com to your page, so that my friends can see your nice work, greetings from Cancun

Posted: 3:29 pm on June 8th

LunarFaith writes: much yays for these cuteyhs - luv 'em
thank you ~
Posted: 4:36 am on June 4th

akkadesign writes:
Hi!
Thanks a lot for the tutorial! I have been experimenting with this. Have a look at the gallery:

http://www.craftstylish.com/item/48299/dorset-button-hair-clips
Posted: 9:13 am on May 30th

TheVeganCraftress writes: Well now I'm addicted to another craft! These are so fun and quick! thanks for the tutorial.
Posted: 11:53 pm on April 7th

paperrain writes: WOW! These are great! These can be sewn on anything and they are so light. Thanks for the tutorial.
Posted: 5:06 pm on March 21st

Barefootbeader writes: Great instructions and illustrations. I'll be teaching a workshop on making them this weekend & will give the students the link to them.
Posted: 11:39 am on March 17th

OriginalNancy writes: wow...a new addiction. These are super fantastic. Thanks I think!
Posted: 1:22 pm on March 15th

CraftyJoan writes: It is often so very difficult to find attractive and appropriately sized buttons to finish off a project. Now I don't have to worry about it. Thanks so very much for this wonderfully detailed instruction on the process. A set of buttons would also make a wonderful Christmas present.

Ya Hoo!!!!!

Posted: 11:11 am on March 15th

applik writes: really pretty! I have a stash of these plastic rings and a boxload of different yarns. These have definite possibilities!
Posted: 11:05 pm on March 14th

sllvncookie writes: These are soooo pretty.And the way you tut-or-tutorial it great.Now if I can only do this.I'm not much of crafter but learning,Thanks to ladies like you all.Thanks,, Cookie in Va.
Posted: 10:43 pm on March 14th

patmargcar writes: Thanks! I remember these buttons from when I was a child!
Posted: 10:26 am on March 14th

vbrock writes: What fun! I can imagine a bunch of uses for these little jewels. Speaking of...beads, pearls, crystals, etc could be added to embellish them. Thank you Diane, for the nicely done tutorial. I definitely am going to try these!
Posted: 8:58 am on March 14th

TheArtfulDogger writes: Just want to say thanks for such a detailed, well photographed tutorial. And, for making something that I've seen before, but never knew the name of! They are cool.
Posted: 6:36 pm on March 10th

Osheen writes: Thank you for sharing, I love the way you made these Dorset buttons, a very useful item to be used in our knitting and crochet items.Osheen
Posted: 6:43 am on March 10th

SundaysChild writes: Okay .. I have to admit, at first glance I thought they were condoms! tee hee

Thank you, what a great tutorial, these are lovely .. and I agree with the other poster .. awesome fingernails. :-)
Posted: 12:50 am on March 10th

gracie_girl writes: Thanks for sharing. Mom used to make buttons for crocheted things with the little plastic circles...I don't know if they were crocheted, or if they were "Dorset" buttons. Good instructions...
Posted: 11:32 am on March 9th

PamHarris writes: These are seriously gorgeous! And the potentials for use seem almost limitless. Beautiful photos. Can't wait to make one or two or three....
Posted: 5:19 pm on March 8th

sewren10 writes: very detailed how-to,thanks for sharing.
Posted: 11:20 pm on March 7th

susanbrownknitting writes: Great tutorial and what utterly fabulous fingernails you have!
Posted: 4:01 pm on March 7th

PoochPal writes: Wow..glad to know how these lovely buttons are created. May have to give it a go. Thank you!
Posted: 9:05 am on March 7th

Janesdesigns writes: Love it!! Thank you for sharing.
Posted: 1:36 am on March 7th

Miba writes: That's awesome! I have to figure out something to make so I can put those on it!
Posted: 7:43 pm on March 6th

CalPatch writes: these are amazing, and i've never seen the likes of them before! thanks diane; i'll have to try them out!
Posted: 2:45 pm on March 6th

Jen_W writes: So gorgeous! Thanks for the tutorial.
Posted: 12:53 pm on March 6th

You must be logged in to post comments. Log in.