How to Sew a Button

To sew on a button, you’ll need a seam ripper, two needles, 24 inches of thread and an extra button if you’ve lost the original, and a pair of scissors.

How to Sew a Button

To get started, you’ll remove the loose button using the seam ripper cutting the thread while being careful to avoid poking a hole in the fabric. Now, if the button has fallen off or you’ve lost it, there should be an extra button or two sewn in on the bottom of the shirt placket on the inside that you can use.

Step 1: Sew X

Take your needle and poke it through the fabric and bring it all the way through so that your knot is anchored on the back. Your thread is anchored. You will be going to take your needle and put it through a hole in the button and come down to the hole opposite where you first came up. It’s like a dolphin in the water going up and down.

Step 2

Once we have finished sewing our X on the back of the button we are going to do what’s called a shank. Pull your needle all the way through. Between the fabric and the back of the button, put your button over and wrap your thread around the bottom of the button four times.

There you can see your shank.

Step 3

Take your needle and put your needle back through the fabric and now finish the button by making a knot so it doesn’t fall off. Take a stitch right in this area where your previous stitching is.

 Put the needle in and lift the needle out until you get a loop. Take your needle and come through the loop and pull it.

How to Sew a Button With 2 Holes

Step 1

If your button only has two holes it’s even simpler after going through the second hole. Pull the needle through the garment if possible without going all the way through the fabric. It’s important to leave a small space between the button and the garment. This part is called the stem. It will keep the button in place without stressing the fabric.

Step 2

You must remember that once you use the button, the garment will create a layer of thickness between the button and where it is sewn on the material. So having a stem will strengthen the bond between them and now you have to repeat your steps a couple of times.

Step 3

Stick the needle in a hole. Always follow the chosen thread pattern and always follow the same hole order. Remember always to leave space for the stem with each threading through the material. You can repeat these steps about three or four times or until the threat patterns thickness is the same as on the other buttons.

Step 4

If there are any other buttons to compare with continue until you feel it is strong enough and now we need to circle the stem with the thread this again will strengthen it when coming back up through the material the last time. Do not go through a buttonhole rather turn the thread maybe four or five times around a stem.

Once this is done stick the needle through the base of the stem two times this will make a solid knot now you can cut all exceeding 

How to Sew a Buttonhole

Step 1

First, we usually mark off a buttonhole. Draw a line at the top and the bottom of the button. Find the widest point on it and make sure that the buttonhole is that wide. 

Step 2

So when you go to make a buttonhole, Then your machine is going to make the first bead.

Step 3

The next thing your machine is going to do is after those bar stitches it’s going to kind of hop over and it’s just going to backstitch back up to the top of where that first bead is.

Step 4

Then it’s going to make the top tack right here. Next, it’s going to make the second bead down. After that, it’s going to finish off with another tack and then backstitch just a little bit to finish off the buttonhole.

How to Sew a Button With a Sewing Machine

Step 1

Lower your feed dogs. Place the foot onto the machine and raise the presser foot. For most machines, you can just drop the presser foot down and it will attach. 

Find your buttons stitch or zig-zag stitch in your machine. Choose the zig-zag stitch. Take a marked fabric, place it under the presser foot and line up the placement between that opening.

Step 2

Raise the presser foot a little bit for the size of the button. Use a four whole button and start with the two holes in the front closest to you and line up those holes. You will see the machine needle is hitting the first hole, second hole respectively.

Go ahead and press down on your presser foot slowly. Do the backstitch to lock the stitches. Raise your machine needle and bring the button closer to you and again do the same thing with the third and fourth hole of the button. Here, you can find some best portable sewing machines.

How to Make Hand-Stitched Buttonholes

Step 1

Use a spacing tool and tailor chalk to mark the starting point of each of your buttonholes. Wrap your chosen button with a piece of twill tape and wrap it around the widest part of the button. 

Step 2

Now pull out the button and lay the tap flat. Mark the length of your buttonhole and mark the end of your buttonhole with the help of the twill tap which denotes the size of the button.

Step 3

Use a buttonhole cutting tool and make a hole out of the cloth. Use a needle, and do a close whip all along. When you get to the front end of the buttonhole, work three or four stitches around the curve before going back down the other side of the buttonhole. Make sure you still catch the thread underneath.

To Conclude

Always try to sew X at first. It’s better to use two needles. Before jumping straight into sewing, know the button type. Imagine you are going to a party and on your way, the button falls off your shirt. If you know the sewing technique and have the sewing kit, you can fix the button without any tension. So, it’s an important life skill.