Description
Upholstery Button Hook Backs for Covered Button Making
These upholstery button hook backs are designed for making fabric-covered furniture buttons that attach to a prepared upholstery twine loop.
Supplied in packs of 1,000, the plastic hook backs are available in sizes 30 and 36 and are suitable for professional upholstery, furniture manufacture, headboard production and deep-buttoning work.
The integrated hook provides a simple attachment point at the rear of the covered button, allowing the finished button to engage with a suitable twine loop within the upholstery construction.
Product Specification
- Product type: Upholstery button hook back
- Material: Plastic
- Pack quantity: 1,000
- Available sizes: 30 and 36
- Application: Fabric-covered upholstery buttons
- Fixing method: Hooks onto a suitable twine loop
- Suitable for: Deep buttoning, furniture manufacture and upholstery restoration
What Are Upholstery Button Hook Backs?
A button hook back forms the rear fixing section of a covered upholstery button.
The hook back is combined with a compatible shell and covering material to create the finished button.
The moulded hook at the rear then allows the button to engage with a prepared loop of upholstery twine.
Typical applications include:
- Deep-buttoned headboards
- Sofa backs
- Chair backs
- Upholstered bed panels
- Footstools
- Ottomans
- Decorative furniture panels
- Upholstered wall panels
- Furniture restoration
- Replacement covered buttons
Hook Back Buttons for Deep Buttoning
Hook backs provide a useful alternative to wire, prong and tape-backed upholstery buttons.
Where the upholstery construction incorporates a suitable twine loop, the finished covered button can be hooked into place rather than permanently tied directly to the button back.
This can be useful for:
- Deep-buttoned headboards
- Decorative sofa backs
- Chair backs
- Upholstered panels
- Furniture where individual buttons may need to be positioned onto prepared fixing loops
The correct buttoning method will depend on the furniture construction and the required finished appearance.
Use with Aluminium Button Shells
Hook backs are designed to be used with compatible Aluminium Button Shells.
The shell forms the visible front of the button while the hook back provides the fixing point at the rear.
A typical covered button consists of:
Aluminium button shell → upholstery fabric → matching hook back
Always match the shell and hook back to the same nominal button size.
Available Hook Back Sizes
Size 30 Hook Backs
Size 30 is suitable for medium-sized covered upholstery buttons used on furniture, headboards and decorative panels.
Use with a compatible size 30 button shell and button die.
Size 36 Hook Backs
Size 36 produces a larger covered button with greater visual impact.
It is useful for headboards, sofa backs and furniture where the button is intended to form a stronger decorative feature.
Use with matching size 36 button components.
Making Fabric-Covered Hook Back Buttons
Producing a professional covered upholstery button requires correctly matched components.
A typical setup includes:
- Aluminium button shell
- Upholstery fabric
- Matching hook back
- Correct-size button die
- Fabric cutter
- Button press
Browse Button Parts for shells and alternative button backs.
Browse Buttoning Tools for dies, cutters and presses.
Button Dies for Hook Back Buttons
Use a correctly sized Button Die to form the covering fabric around the shell and secure the hook back.
Using a matching die helps:
- Centre the button components
- Form the fabric neatly around the shell
- Keep the finished button consistent
- Reduce damaged components
- Improve repeatability during production
The die size should match the selected shell and hook back.
Cutting Fabric for Covered Buttons
The upholstery fabric needs to be cut accurately before the button is assembled.
Use a Fabric Cutter to produce consistent fabric circles.
Correct fabric sizing helps prevent:
- Insufficient material around the shell
- Excess fabric inside the button
- Uneven folds
- Poor edge coverage
- Inconsistent finished buttons
Always test the chosen fabric, shell, hook back and die combination before beginning a larger production run.
Hook Backs with Upholstery Twine
The defining feature of this button back is the hook used to engage a twine loop.
Browse Upholstery Twines for suitable traditional upholstery and buttoning twines.
The twine loop should be prepared securely and positioned so the button can be hooked into place at the correct depth.
Correct tension is important because it affects:
- Button depth
- Pleat formation
- Upholstery compression
- Finished alignment
- Overall appearance
Hook Backs with Buttoning Needles
Long Buttoning Needles can be useful when preparing deep-buttoning arrangements through thick foam, fibre or upholstery layers.
They help when passing twine through:
- Headboard foam
- Sofa backs
- Chair backs
- Cushion interiors
- Upholstered panels
- Deep furniture padding
Select the needle length according to the total depth of the upholstery construction.
Hook Backs or Wire Backs?
Hook backs and wire backs both provide attachment points for covered upholstery buttons, but they work differently.
Choose hook backs when:
- The button needs to hook onto a prepared twine loop
- A detachable hook-style fixing suits the furniture construction
- Sizes 30 or 36 suit the required button
Choose Button Wire Backs when:
- Twine will be tied directly through a wire loop
- Traditional deep buttoning is required
- A permanently tied fixing is preferred
- A wider selection of button sizes is required
Hook Backs or Prong Backs?
Choose Button Prong Backs when a long mechanical fixing needs to pass directly through the upholstery.
Choose hook backs where the upholstery has been prepared with a twine loop that the finished button can engage.
Prong-backed buttons and hook-backed buttons therefore provide different fixing systems and should be selected according to the furniture construction.
Hook Backs or Tape Backs?
Tape Backs use a flexible tape attachment rather than a rigid hook.
Choose hook backs when a defined hooking point onto twine is required.
Choose tape backs when a flexible tape attachment better suits the upholstery construction.
Browse Button Parts to compare the available button-back styles.
Hook Back Buttons for Headboards
Fabric-covered hook-back buttons are particularly useful for suitable headboard designs.
Applications include:
- Deep-buttoned headboards
- Diamond buttoning
- Square button layouts
- Upholstered bed panels
- Decorative wall panels
The finished appearance will depend on:
- Button size
- Foam depth
- Button spacing
- Twine-loop position
- Pull depth
- Fabric choice
- Pleat arrangement
Hook Back Buttons for Sofas and Chairs
Hook-back covered buttons can also be used in suitable sofa and chair constructions.
Typical applications include:
- Sofa backs
- Chair backs
- Decorative upholstery panels
- Footstools
- Ottomans
- Furniture restoration
The furniture must be prepared with an appropriate fixing arrangement so the hook can engage securely.
Hook Backs for Furniture Restoration
Hook backs can be useful when replacing missing or damaged covered buttons on existing furniture that already uses a hook-and-loop buttoning system.
Before replacing the button, check:
- Existing button size
- Back type
- Twine-loop condition
- Button spacing
- Upholstery depth
- Covering fabric
- Required pull depth
Matching the original fixing system where practical helps maintain the construction and appearance of the furniture.
Upholstery Hook Backs for Trade Use
Packs of 1,000 make these hook backs particularly suitable for:
- Professional upholsterers
- Headboard manufacturers
- Furniture manufacturers
- Bed manufacturers
- Furniture restoration workshops
- Contract furniture businesses
- Soft furnishing workrooms
The availability of sizes 30 and 36 covers two commonly used decorative upholstery button formats.
Browse Button Parts for aluminium shells and alternative button backs.
Browse Buttoning Tools for button dies, fabric cutters and presses.
Browse Buttoning Parts & Equipment for the wider professional upholstery buttoning range.
Registered trade customers receive preferential pricing. Log in to your account or register for a Livedale trade account.
For help choosing the correct button shell, back, die or fixing method, contact Livedale.
