Sewing on a button

This is another of those seemingly easy sewing jobs that many people don’t know how to do.  Knowing how to sew on a button not only save you money, but time and irritation.

You will need

• button
• scissors
• dressmaking needles
• thread

Step 1 Find an appropriate button.

Step 2 Remove any remaining threads where the original button was attached.

Step 3 Thread the needle with thread, which is as close in colour as possible to the material of the garment or to the thread with which the other buttons are sewn on. Bring the needle down to the middle of the thread, and then knot both ends together. This will stop you from pulling it through the material as you sew. Place the button on the spot that you want to sew it, using the original holes as a marker.

Step 4 Hold the button with one hand, push the needle up through the material and into one of the holes in the button. If you start on the inside of the garment, the knot stays invisible. Then thread it down through the other hole and push through the material. Repeat these steps until the button is secure, and make sure you finish with the thread coming through the back of the button.

Step 5 Place your needle through the hole in the button and do not go through the material. Instead of going down through the material, only go through the hole in the button and come out behind the button. You will take your thread and wind it around the stitches you’ve made beneath the button. This will make the button stand up. Wind it between the button and the material.

Top Tips

If you can’t find the button that has fallen off, see if the manufacturers have provided a spare button. This is usually found at the bottom of the shirt opening or inside a side seam on a dress or a skirt. If you can’t find a button you will either have to buy one that matches or, if the shirt is one that will be tucked in, you can take a button from the bottom of the shirt and replace it with another button. If you can’t find a spare button, or the button you lost, use one of the buttons on the shirt which you don’t use often (possibly a button on the collar) or try find a close match at a fabric store.

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