chinese frog closures

Greetings Sew Retro-ers! 

A couple months I made this dress, and I tied the frog buttons to boot. I know I can't be the only one out there who finds the available closures limiting. Too big, too small, wrong color, cheap shiny look, it makes sense to learn to knot them yourself. I put together a tutorial so anyone wanting to perfectly finish their Mandarin collar, cheongsam, or qipau, can do so with out going crazy trying to figure out how to tie them. 


My mom says she had a book that explained how to tie them. Where are those books now? I searched everywhere and had difficulty finding decent instructions. I don't know how many test frogs I made before I got them sorted out, but hopefully these instructions will save others that frustration. Happy Frogging!