I’ve knit and/or designed many button cardigan designs through the years – and combined with my experience working at a yarn shop, I’ve learned quite a few tips about how to best to pair buttons with your finished cardigan garment. I hope the 3 tips I share below may be helpful the next time you’re planning your next button project! Plus I also share a few resources for where I have purchased buttons in the past.

Tip #1: Loose fabric? Choose a lighter-weight button.

The weight of the button you pick should be inline with the weight of the fabric you are putting it on. If the fabric of your knitted piece is loose or drapey, then you probably want to stay away from buttons that are too heavy as that could weigh the garment down and cause issues.

For example, below is my Ramona Light cardigan (the light-weight version of my original Ramona) which I knit many years ago in a fingering-weight wool/silk blend. So it’s a thin yarn and the fiber content is such that is has a bit of drape due to the silk. So I went with a very light shell-like button (I don’t think it was actual shell – they make a lot of plastic/polyester type buttons that have the look and feel of that light-weight shell material). Not only will it not weigh the front band down but it also feels cohesive with the overall lightness-look of the garment.

Another example of this is my Magic Hour shawl which has the option of adding some buttons so that it can be closed up if you prefer. Because of the fabric looseness and the fact that you’ll be utilizing a simple eyelet stitch opening as your ‘button hole’, choosing a light-weight button is very important. So I went with these simple plastic buttons that not only blended in with the color (since I wanted a subtle look – see tip #2!) but would be light enough to not stretch out the eyelet too much over time.

In contrast is my original Ramona Cardigan. This was knit in a thicker aran-weight 100% wool yarn, so it’s much sturdier than the light-weight version of the pattern. And so with this piece I went with wooden buttons. The fabric could withstand a little bit more weight to a button and it felt like these buttons matched the thickness and look of the garment itself.

Tip #2: Choose a similar color/shade of button if you want a more subtle look.

Buttons can either be the “pop” or they can blend subtly into the background – it’s totally up to you! Here are some examples to show you what I mean.

Below is my Sporty 45 cardigan. The focal point of this piece is the bright contrasting color orange stripes on the body, and so with my button choice I didn’t want to distract from that visual element. And in addition, the yarn is a very light-feeling sport-weight, so I also wanted to go with a button that didn’t feel too heavy (see tip #1!). I found these wooden-looking buttons at JoAnns that seemed to fit all of these requirements, allowing the orange stripes to remain the main attraction of this piece.

In contrast, for this version of my Little Coffee Bean baby cardigan, yellow buttons were used as a way to create a bit of a ‘pop’ against the salmon color ribbing. Adding colorful or contrasting buttons can add a bit of personality to a piece!

Tip #3: The button should be bigger than the button hole.

In terms of deciding on button size compared to the button hole you have created, you want the button to fit snuggly. Because over time it may stretch out a bit. So a button shouldn’t slide super easily into a hole. It should fit, but perhaps take a little bit of effort in order to make it through and not just slide right in with hardly any manipulation. This will allow the button to still serve it’s purpose even if the hole stretches out a bit with time.

Below is an example of the button on my Happy Harvest poncho and how it fits through the hole but snuggly.

This tip is less important though if you have no intention of actually buttoning your cardigan. Why would you attach buttons if you don’t actually intend on using them? Purely for the aesthetics! I fall into this camp most of the time – I like cardigans, I like the look of buttons, but you’ll rarely find me wearing a cardigan buttoned. So if I’m picking out buttons for a garment where I know that based on the style and fit I will most likely never actually wear it buttoned, I worry less about how snuggly (or not-so-snuggly) the button fits through the hole. Often you’ll find me wearing cardigans like the picture below (I’m wearing my Audrey’s Cardigan design here):

Where do I find buttons?

Now that you’ve learned my 3 tips, you may be asking “well, where do you find buttons?” Through the years I’ve accumulated quite a number of buttons because I tend to purchase ones I like even if I don’t have a particular project for it (because sometimes finding the perfect button can be tricky, so when I see ones I like I grab them while I can!). But when I am on the hunt for new buttons, here is where I typically look.

Local Yarn Shops:

LYS’s often carry buttons and they tend to be styles you might not find in other places. And sometimes picking buttons online can just be really tricky (so if you can visit a shop in person, it’s ideal). Here’s one additional tip: some shops only sell buttons in-store so if you check an LYS’s online shop and you don’t see any, it’s often worth a call or message to find out if they carry any in-store. Here are just a handful of shops that I know carry buttons on their websites if you want to check them out: Fancy Tiger Crafts, KnitWit, Spun Ann Arbor, Cashmere Goat Yarn Shop.

Below are designs where I’ve used buttons purchased at local yarn shops:

Purl Soho (online shop):

I fell in love with Purl Soho’s simple button selection many years ago. It can be hard to find simple, light buttons in a variety of colors but Purl Soho has them in a smooth, matte plastic. I most often have used their 3/4″ size, but they also have them in 1/2″ size. In addition, they also have a nice assortment of pearl/shell buttons. I used the 3/4″ matte plastic for these designs:

Craft Stores

Craft stores such as Joann’s often carry lots of different button options and I personally find it’s good when I’m looking for neutral, plain styles (and they can be a good affordable option as well). The designs below all use buttons that I purchased at Joann’s:

Other online retailers

Other online retailers can be good to check out as well and are especially great options when you’re looking for something a little unique. One such retailer is Katrinkles – I’ve been a big fan of her tools and notions for years and you’ll find her products not only online but in yarn stores and at fiber festivals. Plus everything is made in-house in Rhode Island!

Another online retailer you can check out is Etsy.com. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve purchased buttons there but I know many people have had good luck finding a variety of different styles and sizes there as well.

I hope these tips might be helpful for the next time you find yourself looking for the perfect buttons for your next knit cardigan. If you have any additional tips you’ve found helpful when it comes to buttons, I’d love to know – feel free to reach out!.