I took the photo above while shopping for fabric and doll-clothes-making accessories in Paris. If you’d like to learn more about my Paris trip and what I learned while shopping for fabric and notions there, come back tomorrow when I post my video about it.
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But I digress… Recently one of my regular followers submitted a question to me, asking “Where can I buy tiny buttons for my doll clothes?” It’s actually a question I get frequently here at ChellyWood.com, so I decided to address the question in one of my blog posts.
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If you want to know how to find tiny buttons, no matter where you live, I’ll share a little secret with you: I use Etsy for tiny doll buttons, tiny zippers, and similar sewing notions, but I generally buy my tiny snaps from Jo-Ann’s Fabrics. Jo-Ann’s does have an online store, but if you have a fabric store in your area, you can usually ask a salesperson to help you find snaps, hooks and eyes, and similar closures. I’ve found a lot of fabric stores here in the US carry snaps that are small enough for most doll clothes, and you can find snaps and other closures at hobby stores as well.
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When browsing Etsy, I take note of the sizes of notions, and then I place my tape measure alongside my doll to estimate how big that notion will be when it’s on the doll. Different dolls require different sized notions.
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For Barbie and similar-sized dolls, I prefer buying buttons that are less than 1/4 inch in diameter. A 1/8 inch diameter button is ideal but sometimes hard to find. For American Girl and Madame Alexander dolls, a 1/4 inch button is perfect. If you live outside the US, you’ll need me to translate to metric: 1/4 inch is 5.5 mm whereas 1/8 inch is 3 mm. This is a significant difference when dealing with miniatures, so pay close attention to the measurements listed on Etsy.
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If an Etsy store doesn’t post measurements, do not buy their products! (It’s a red flag when they don’t post sizes; these merchants are average Joes who don’t know anything about the products they’re selling.)
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ThaiFabShop has lots of options for the teeny-tiny stuff, including extra small snaps. ThaiFabShop is found on Etsy, and I have done business with them. I bought some very small buttons from them and was happy with my purchases. But be aware that their tiny buttons are not exquisitely detailed. The plastic is flat with no ridges, and some of the buttons were roughly made. However, it’s difficult to buy ridged buttons in the very small 1/8 inch size, and when buying bulk, a few roughly-made products are to be expected in the mix of products found in the bag.
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The nice thing about ThaiFabShop is the variety. They offer buttons, snaps, buckles, pom poms, charms, and more, all in very small sizes. Their photos show the items alongside a measurement tool, so you can tell exactly how small they are. That’s marvelous!
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Even though ThaiFabShop is based in Bankok, Thailand, the shipping charges on something so small is quite reasonable. But do pay attention to your shipping charges. If you order from a nation outside the US/UK/NATO region, shipping can get quite expensive, depending on the country of origin and their taxes and restrictions. It can also take longer to arrive.
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If you have any questions about the products I use in my doll sewing tutorials on my website and my YouTube channel, feel free to submit a question of your own. And if you have some advice to share, please leave it in the comments below.
what size buttons for an 18″ doll?
When sewing for 18 inch dolls, I typically use buttons in the size range between 5 mm and 7 mm, depending on whether the garment needs a “biggish” or “smallish” button for that particular garment. For coats, a 7 mm button looks about right. For shirt cuffs, a 5 mm button looks about right. Here’s a link that may help you find them.