How to sew a button
To sew on a button, use the spare sewn inside the lining if there is one, thread a needle with a doubled strand of matching thread, knot it, and come up from the inside where the old threads were. Stitch through the holes about eight times, leaving a little slack, then wrap the thread around those stitches to make a short neck and knot inside.
A button just came off your favorite coat on the way out.
Why it matters: It is a five minute fix that saves a favorite coat or cardigan.
Steps
- Look for a spare button sewn inside the lining or a side seam.
- Thread a needle with thread that matches, pull it doubled, and knot the two ends together.
- Find the spot from the old thread holes and come up from the inside of the fabric.
- Stitch up and down through the holes about eight times, leaving a little slack so the button stands off the fabric.
- For a coat button, keep the slack wide enough to fit the thickness of the other side of the coat.
- Bring the needle up under the button and wrap the thread around the stitches several times to make a short neck.
- Push the needle to the inside, make two small stitches, knot, and trim.
Common mistakes
- Sewing the button tight to the fabric, so it strains the buttonhole.
- Using a single thin strand that breaks in a week.
- Ignoring a loose button until it falls off and is lost.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to sew a button
What to say
To sew on a button, use the spare sewn inside the lining if there is one, thread a needle with a doubled strand of matching thread, knot it, and come up from the inside where the old threads were. Stitch through the holes about eight times, leaving a little slack, then wrap the thread around those stitches to make a short neck and knot inside.
What to show
- Look for a spare button sewn inside the lining or a side seam.
- Thread a needle with thread that matches, pull it doubled, and knot the two ends together.
- Find the spot from the old thread holes and come up from the inside of the fabric.
- Stitch up and down through the holes about eight times, leaving a little slack so the button stands off the fabric.
- For a coat button, keep the slack wide enough to fit the thickness of the other side of the coat.
- Bring the needle up under the button and wrap the thread around the stitches several times to make a short neck.
- Push the needle to the inside, make two small stitches, knot, and trim.
Check question
Why double the thread?
Answer: It is stronger and holds longer. Two strands take more strain than one.
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Sources
This skill is general practice and draws on no single published source.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .