How To Sew On A Button

I know this tutorial may seem very basic to a lot of you, but recently a good friend suggested I make a video about how to sew on a button.  She said so many people don’t know how to do this fairly simple sewing task.  So here it is!

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I sew a lot of  buttons onto pillows, panels and valances, but there’s probably  more of a need for the people who don’t know how to sew, to be able to sew a button onto a shirt or pants when it falls off.  For that reason, I decided to show how to sew on a button with a thread shank so that if you have a buttonhole, you will have room for it under the button.

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How To Sew On A Button

I have written out the instructions following the video.

Thread – try to match the thread to the button.  I used black in the video to help it show up better.
Needle
Straight pin
Scissors
Fabric or item needing a button
Button – if you’re replacing a button from an item of clothing, and you’ve lost the button, a lot of times manufacturers will have extra buttons attached somewhere on the piece of clothing.

1.  Thread the needle.  Using both strands of thread tie a knot in the bottom by making a loop and pulling the ends of the thread through the loop.  Repeat so that you have a double knot.

2.  Place the pin on top of the button between the two holes.  This will help give you room to make the shank later.  If you don’t need the shank, you can skip this step.

3.  From the underside of the fabric, bring your needle up through the fabric to the right side.  Slip the needle through one of the holes in the button.

4.  Place the needle in the other hole, going across the pin, and bring down to the back side of the fabric again.  Repeat this step 4 to 5 times, until the button feels secure.

*Note – If your button has four holes instead of two, just repeat steps 4 and 5 in the second set of holes.

5.  Remove the pin, and raise up the button.  From the underneath side, bring the needle through the fabric until it is underneath the button.

6.  Wrap or wind your thread around your button stitches, 5 or 6 times, to form the shank for the button.

7.  Bring the needle through the fabric to the back side again.

8  Take a small bite of fabric with your needle, and wind your thread around the end of the needle.  Pull your needle through, and this will form your ending knot.

9.  Clip your threads and you’ve sewn on a button!