Difficulty: Beginner
Over the last five or six years I have had a little sewing business. I do alterations and custom sewing. Through this business I have realized that a lot of people don’t actually know how to sew on a button. More than once I have been paid to sew buttons on shirts, pants and coats.
Yes, I suppose some people just don’t have the time to sew on a button and it is more convenient for them to pay someone like me to do it. Some people, however, never learned how to do it. This is a skill that is beneficial for everyone to know.
If you can sew on a button you can do minor repairs to your clothing and extend the wear of your favorite clothes. This may not be life changing, but will certainly make you more self sufficient.
Disclaimer: I cleaned my oven the day I took these pics and my nails were a wreck. Try to overlook their shabby condition.
Supplies:
Sewing Needle
Thread
Button
Needle Threader
Scissors
Article of clothing
First things first, you need to be able to thread the needle. This is sometimes easier said than done. The eye of a needle is very small and if your eye sight isn’t great it can be very frustrating trying to get that very thin thread through that very small hole. Enter the needle threader. If you have ever seen a sewing kit you may have noticed the needle threader and wondered what it was for. It makes threading the needle a breeze.
Simply push the wire loop of the needle threader through the eye of the needle. Then feed the thread through the loop of the needle threader.
Now pull the needle threader back out of the needle and it will pull the thread through the eye of the needle.
Now pull the tail of the thread until it meets the other end of the thread. Grasp the two ends of the thread between your thumb and pointer finger.
Wrap the thread around your pointer finger and roll it off your pointer finger with your thumb.
Then grab thread, above the loop you have created, with your thumb and pointer finger and slide fingers down to create a knot in the bottom of the thread.
Now push needle through the back of the fabric where you want to place the button. Pull the needle out the front of the fabric and pull until all of the thread comes out too. Pull slowly to avoid creating knots on the underside of fabric. Put the needle through one of the holes in the back side of the button and pull thread through.
Then put needle through another hole in the front of the button and pull thread through. Put the needle back through the fabric, under the button, close to where the thread came through from the back. This will ensure that your button stays placed where you want it.
Pull thread through to the back and repeat the process. If your button only has two holes you will make a straight line between the two holes with the thread. If your button has four holes, like mine, you can either make an “x” between the four holes or you can create two parallel lines between the four holes. If there are other buttons on your clothing look at those to help you decide.
Once you have pulled the needle and thread through the front and back of the fabric and button a few times gently tug on the button to test that it is secure. If button is secure push the needle and thread through to the back of the fabric. Take the needle and push it under the thread that is secured to the fabric and pull the thread about half way through.
You will have created a loop. Put the needle through the middle of the loop and out the other side twice.
Pull the needle and thread taught to tighten the knot that you have created.
Cut thread with scissors just above the knot leaving a tiny tail.
Flip fabric back over and test button by pushing through button hole on the opposite flap of fabric. The button and hole should meet up and the clothing should stay closed.
Now you can fix all of the clothes with missing buttons that are lying on the bottom of your closet with no hopes of ever being worn again.