Cloth Buttons

The project today at work was to make six cloth buttons for the Persian/mid-eastern coat. I tried with the instructions I found online to sew 2 lines in a running stitch near the edges of a circle of cloth and tuck in the raw edges before finishing. That didn't work so well for me. Instead of doing that, I started with the thread tail on the outside and folded the cloth in on itself once while tacking it down with a running stitch. I did that so the unfinished edge is already folded in when I pull in the edges. This is how I made them:
1. Cut a 2 x2 inch square of cloth and trim it so it is roughly circular.
2. Cut about an arm's length of thread, or enough to leave about a 7-8 inch tail on each end. While folding over the edge by about an eighth of an inch, do an running stitch to tack that down. Don't make those stitches too chose together.
3. Pull the threads a little to form a pocket. Don't pull too much because you have yet to stuff the button.
4. Cut a piece of scrap or use fiberfill to stuff the button. Add or take some of the stuffing out as necessary. The button should be solidly stuffed.
5. Pull the threads to close the button. Use the extra lengths at each end to sew the cinched in edges closed. Tie it off with a square knot.
Other good ideas:
Use strong thread because you'll be pulling quite a bit.
Use a small needle to do the running stitch, but use a larger needle to sew the edges closed so you can get through the edges easier, and so you don't bend the smaller needle.