Buttonhole

I knit a sweater without doing the buttonholes. (Don’t ask! Dumb reason.)
Question is: What is the best way to cut buttonholes in the band? I am considering machine stitching to form a slit and then hand stitching around the hole.

You could just chain a button loop on the edge instead of cutting a hole.

Won’t work because band overlaps. Thanks.

Well… do they have to overlap?