How to Sew a Button

“I can wear this again – I just need to sew on a button.” That’s easy for you to say. And easy for you to do by following a few simple steps. Here is how to sew a button!

Buttons come in two styles. The most common has two or four holes drilled through the surface of the button. The other style is a shank button. It has no visible means of support (holes) when viewed from the top. Instead, they have an extension on the back for threading. Many of these buttons are decorative – covered with fabric, molded from pressed glass, or tooled from leather. The shank allows space for the layers of fabric to remain smooth without bunching or pulling.

Let’s start with a 2-hole button.

For a 4-hole button, work one pair of holes, then stitch the parallel set of holes.

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Marking where to start sewing the button.

Begin by marking button placement on your fabric. These pencil marks will not be visible after stitching, but you could mark with threads, water-erasable marker, or air-erasable marker if you prefer.

Bring the needle up through the first mark, with a knotted doubled thread

Knot the end of a double length of thread (you’ll want 10-12 inches of doubled thread) and bring the needle up through your first mark. Pull until the knot is snug against the back of your fabric.

Keeping your button right side up, bring the needle through the first hole.

Bring the needle down through the second hole and second mark.

Insert the needle through the second hole of the button and through the fabric at your second mark. Don’t pull too tightly yet.

Place a pin under the thread to be able to give the sewn thread a little ease to make it easier to button.

Place a straight pin (or something similar) between the top of the button and the thread. This will maintain some slack for the thread shank that you will create in a later step.

Sew several passed up and down through the holes, keeping the space pin in place.

Make several passes up and down through the fabric and button, keeping the pin in place. Keep the “spacer pin” in place. Bring the needle up between the fabric and the button.

Bring the needle up between the button and the fabric. Twist the thread around the sewn stitches between the button and the fabric.

Remove the pin and wrap the thread around the slack that has been created between the button and the fabric. 6-8 wraps should do it. You have now created a thread shank that will keep your fabric smooth when the button is fastened.

Bring the needle to the back and knot, and cut the thread.

Bring the needle through to the back, then knot and clip your threads.

Ta-da! You’ve learned how to sew a button!

Next up – sewing a shank button!

Bring your needle up where you want the button. Loop through the shank and then sew back down through the fabric about 1/8" from where you brought your needle up.

Mark your button placement in the same way as for a 2-hole button. Bring your double-threaded needle up through the first mark. Pass the needle through the button shank, then back through the fabric at the second mark.

Pull just enough for your shank to rest on the fabric.

Keep your threads straight as you pull the needle and thread to the back. Pull just enough for the shank to rest on the fabric – you don’t want to pull too tightly and create puckers.