A traditional gift item, cuff links add style and elegance to a man's suit. Sometimes, though, a man may not have a shirt with French or double cuffs to display his cuff links during an evening out or at a formal event. In these instances, modifying a nice shirt with regular cuffs is a viable alternative to purchasing a new shirt. Turning a regular buttoned shirt into a shirt suitable for cuff links is simple enough for even a beginning seamstress.
Find a shirt with sleeves long enough to wear with the cuff folded up once. Wash and dry the shirt and remove the buttons on the cuffs.
Fold the cuffs of the shirt up once, exposing the underside of the cuff, which will become the outside when finished. Lay the sleeve out flat, lining up the open edges of the cuff.
Locate the original buttonhole on the cuffs. With the edges till aligned, mark a small line on the fabric beneath the buttonhole, and a corresponding mark on the opposite sides of each cuffed sleeve.
Sew a backstitch around the edges of the lines in an almost rectangular shape to create three more buttonholes in each cuff. Leave at least one-sixteenth inch between your two rows of stitching. Cut through the middle of each of the buttonholes you just sewed to create an opening.
Use an over-under stitch or a whipstitch around the edges of the buttonhole to reinforce the fabric and prevent fraying. Cuff links should fit through all four holes, holding the double cuff together when worn.