How to Sew on a Button

One of the most common sewing projects is reattaching a button that has fallen off an article of clothing. Always replace a button with a new button of approximately the same size. Buttons that are too big won’t fit through the buttonholes, whereas buttons that are too small will slip out of the buttonholes.

Align the Buttons with the Buttonholes

Align the center of the button with the center of the buttonhole so that the fabric won’t pucker when buttoned.

1. Hold the edges of the fabric with the buttons and buttonholes against each other so that they lie evenly against each other.
2. Mark each button’s placement with a pencil or water-soluble marking pen. The button will cover the mark.

Sew on the Button

 

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1. Center the button over the mark. Turn the button so its holes are parallel to the buttonhole.
2. From beneath the fabric, draw a threaded needle with a knotted end up through the fabric and one hole in the button, then down through an adjacent hole and the fabric. Repeat with the other pair of buttonholes.
3. Insert a toothpick under the looped thread on top of the button. Inserting the toothpick ensures that you won’t stitch the button too tightly into place. Work additional stitches through the buttonholes (about 3–4 per pair of adjacent holes).
4. From the underside, insert the needle up through the fabric only and beneath the button, but don’t bring the needle through any of the holes in the button. Instead, wind the thread tightly several times around the stitches beneath the button to create a sturdy shank. Knot the thread so that it’s tight against the underside of the button. Cut the tail of thread emerging from underneath the button.