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How do I Choose the Best Upholstery Buttons?

Alicia Sparks
Alicia Sparks

To choose the best upholstery buttons, consider your experience level, your current or new furniture fabric and room décor, and where the buttons will be located. Ideally, the buttons you choose will be easy for you to install, match your current furniture covering, and be designed for the applicable indoor or outdoor use. If you are hiring a professional to install the buttons for you, you probably will not need to think about installation tools. On the other hand, if you are installing the buttons yourself, you will want to make sure you also have the necessary upholstery tools. Once you are ready to shop for your new upholstery buttons, check with shops that carry furniture update and repair items as well as do-it-yourself upholstery tools.

There are many different types of upholstery buttons. As such, not all buttons are designed to be installed the same way. Unless you hire a professional upholsterer, installing your own buttons is an exercise in do-it-yourself upholstery. Therefore, you should choose buttons with installation instructions that are within your experience level. You want attractive upholstery buttons that match your furniture fabric and room décor, but to make sure you can properly install the buttons yourself, you should avoid choosing complicated buttons based solely on their appearance.

Lightweight buttons work well with thin furniture coverings.
Lightweight buttons work well with thin furniture coverings.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the installation instructions, you can begin narrowing your options based on design and style. In addition to visual appearance, consider your furniture fabric when choosing upholstery buttons. For example, lightweight buttons work well with thin furniture covering like clothes, whereas larger and more durable buttons work better for heavier upholstery fabrics like leather and corduroy. Also, remember to consider where your furniture is located. If you are adding buttons to outdoor furniture, for instance, you will want to choose buttons designed to stand up to different weather conditions.

Larger and more durable buttons work better for heavier upholstery fabrics like corduroy.
Larger and more durable buttons work better for heavier upholstery fabrics like corduroy.

A wide variety of retail locations carry upholstery buttons, and you can shop with online stores as well as traditional shops. If you are not sure where to begin looking, note that most stores that specialize in furniture fabrics also sell upholstery buttons. Some furniture repair stores might also sell buttons and other tools for do-it-yourself upholstery. Before you make your final purchase make sure to find out which, if any, tools come with the buttons. You might have the necessary upholstery tools already on hand, but if not you will need to buy them before you can install the buttons.

Discussion Comments

KaBoom

I think the best upholstery buttons are the kind that you can cover yourself. That way you can easily match the buttons to your upholstered furniture. Instead of worrying about if the pattern on the buttons will look OK, you can just cover the buttons with some extra fabric from the couch or chair! Or you can cover the buttons in contrasting fabric for a different look.

A friend of mine just made some pillows to go on her couch, and this is exactly what she did. She bought upholstery buttons and covered them in contrasting fabric, and it looks just great!

indemnifyme

@sunnySkys - You're right. My mom just re-upholstered her couch and we weren't able to find any of the proper buttons at our local craft store. We just ended up buying them online at a furniture upholstery website.

Anyway, those things are harder to install into a couch than you would think! My mom had quite a time trying to get those buttons into the couch! It didn't help that the buttons didn't come with the proper tools, and we didn't know we needed any tools. My mom ended up having to order the tools, which really slowed down the process.

So I guess the moral of the story is, make sure you have the proper tools for your upholstery buttons!

sunnySkys

I just wanted to say that I'm pretty sure most "big box" craft stores do not carry upholstery supplies. I'm a knitter, and I sometimes make cardigans. Obviously I need to buy buttons to close my sweaters. Well guess what? Most big box craft stores don't even carry regular sewing buttons these days! So I really doubt they carry upholstery buttons.

I think if I needed upholstery buttons I would probably go to a specialty store for the first time. I love shopping online, but I usually try to go in person if it's my first time buying something so I can take a closer look at it.

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    • Lightweight buttons work well with thin furniture coverings.
      By: NorGal
      Lightweight buttons work well with thin furniture coverings.
    • Larger and more durable buttons work better for heavier upholstery fabrics like corduroy.
      By: Kitch Bain
      Larger and more durable buttons work better for heavier upholstery fabrics like corduroy.