How to Sew a Button- Step By Step Tutorial

How to Sew a Button- Step By Step Tutorial

If you’ve never sewn a button, it can look a bit intimidating—a task best left to the "professionals" (i.e., the handy people in your life!).

But let's break it down. As you'll see in this tutorial, it's actually super simple.

The only tricky part is making the back of the fabric look neat. But honestly, who cares? It’s not visible! If you have major attention to detail, you might focus on that, but for the rest of us, getting the job done well is what matters most.

Let's get started!

What You'll Need:

  • A button (naturally!)
  • A needle
  • Thread (ideally matching the garment or existing buttons)

💡 Pro Tip: A needle threader is a game changer! If your hands shake, or your eyesight isn't what it used to be, this tool makes threading the needle effortless. No shame in using one!

Step 1: Prepare Your Thread and Needle

Cut the Thread

Cut a length of thread about 60 cm (24 inches) long. It’s always better to have extra than to run out mid-sew!

Thread and Double It Up

  1. Pass one end of the thread through the eye of the needle.
  2. Pull the thread through and fold it in half so that both loose ends are even. You are now sewing with a doubled thread, which makes the button much more secure.

Knot the End

Tie a sturdy knot at the very end of the doubled thread. To make it extra secure, you can tie it two or three times. Snip off any long excess thread close to the knot.

Step 2: Position the Button

Find the Spot

Place the button exactly where you want it.

  • If you’re replacing an old button, line up the new one to cover the visible holes from the previous stitching.

Right Side Up

Buttons usually have a 'good' side (often shinier, smoother, or with a decorative rim) and a 'bad' side (plainer, sometimes concave).

  • Make sure the best-looking side of the button is facing out—the side the world will see. The plain side goes against the fabric.

Step 3: Start Sewing and Secure the Button

Start from Underneath

  1. Hold the button firmly in place on the fabric with one hand.
  2. Bring the needle up from underneath the fabric (the back side) and guide it through one of the buttonholes.
  3. Pull the thread all the way up until the knot catches on the back of the fabric. Don't yank too hard! The fabric should bunch slightly, but the thread shouldn't pop through the knot.

Dive Back Down

Take the needle and push it back down through the button hole, diagonally opposite the one you came up through.

The First Set of Holes (2-4 Passes)

Now the needle is back underneath the fabric.

  1. Bring the needle up again through the first hole (where you started).
  2. Push it back down through the second hole (where you finished).
  3. Repeat this up-and-down process 2-4 times. This secures the first set of stitches.

The Second Set of Holes (2-4 Passes)

Repeat the exact same process (2-4 passes) for the remaining two holes.

Step 4: Create the Button Shank (The Important Part!)

A shank is a small column of thread under the button. It creates space, ensuring the button can easily pass through the buttonhole. Don't skip this!

Wrap and Wind

  1. Make sure your needle is currently under the fabric.
  2. Push the needle up through the fabric, but do not go through a buttonhole. Push it up right next to the button, emerging just underneath its edge.
  3. Pull the thread through.
  4. Wrap the thread tightly around the stitches between the fabric and the button, circling the thread about 6-8 times. This creates the shank.

Lock it Down

  1. Push the needle through the base of the wrapped shank (the threads you just wrapped).
  2. Pull the needle most of the way through, but leave a small loop of thread.
  3. Run the needle through this loop and pull tight to create a knot.
  4. Repeat this knotting process once more for maximum security.
  5. Tuck the needle back down under the fabric, right next to the button.

Step 5: Knot and Finish

Secure the Thread

You are now under the fabric (the back side) with your needle. To prevent the button from coming undone:

  1. Stitch the needle through a small piece of the fabric and under the existing stitches you made.
  2. Pull the needle most of the way through, but leave a small loop of thread.
  3. Run the needle through this loop and pull tight to create a knot.
  4. Repeat this knotting process twice more for maximum security.

Cut and Admire

Cut the remaining thread as close to the knot as possible.

You're done! That button is secure, functional, and ready for action.

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