Clothing & Repair · Skill 01 of 04
Sew On a Button
The most useful five minutes of sewing there is. If you can sew a button, you can rescue shirts, coats, trousers and bags.
Companion
Ten minutes now keeps a shirt in service for years.
- Needle
- Standard
- A general-purpose hand-sewing needle.
- Low cost
- A dollar-store sewing kit — usually under two dollars.
- Already have
- The tiny sewing kit from a hotel, or one borrowed from a neighbour.
- Thread
- Standard
- Polyester all-purpose thread matched to the garment.
- Low cost
- A multi-colour thread pack from a discount store.
- Already have
- Thread pulled from a seam allowance inside the same garment matches perfectly.
- Button
- Standard
- The spare button sewn inside the garment's side seam.
- Low cost
- A card of assorted buttons.
- Already have
- A button cut from a garment you're already throwing out.
- Small scissors
- Standard
- Embroidery or thread snips.
- Low cost
- Any craft scissors.
- Already have
- Nail clippers cut thread cleanly.
- 01Cut and threadCut about 60 cm — roughly the distance from your hand to your opposite shoulder. Thread the needle and pull both ends together so you're sewing doubled, then knot the ends.
- 02Find the exact spotButton the garment and mark where the button needs to sit through the buttonhole. Old thread marks usually show you exactly where it was.
- 03Anchor from the backPush the needle up from the underside so the knot hides beneath. Take one small stitch there to lock it before the button goes on.
- 04Sew through the holesBring the needle up through one hole and down through the next. For a four-hole button, work two parallel lines or a cross, six passes total.
- 05Make a shankLay a matchstick or toothpick on top of the button while you sew, then remove it. The little slack lets the button sit over the fabric thickness instead of pulling tight.
- 06Wrap and knot offBring the needle up under the button and wrap the thread around the loose stitches four or five times, then push through to the back and knot twice against the fabric. Trim close.
Worth Knowing
- Check the inside side seam first — most shirts and coats come with a spare button sewn there.
- Doubling the thread means half the passes for the same strength.