How to Sew a Button Quickly

There are often clothes in our wardrobes with missing or broken buttons. This article will walk you through the process of sew a button, including how to create a thread shank for added strength.

Sewing buttons vary depending on their type and number of holes; here we focus on flat buttons with two or four holes for our demonstration.

Step by Step Guide to Sew a Button

These are the 4 major factors to sew a button easily and instantly.

1. Thread the Needle

Step one requires gathering materials matching your button’s dimensions: long thread that matches it should be doubled to provide extra strength; thicker thread may need coating with wax; beeswax candles work great as this makes sewing through button holes easier and prevents fraying later.

Before beginning sewing, lower your machine’s feed dogs – these are the “teeth” that push fabric through the needle plate when sewing and can prevent thread from getting caught between its teeth and being caught by other parts of your machine. Doing this will keep thread straight while also avoiding any thread catches along its path.

First, thread and knot the needle. Next, insert it into one of the holes on the backside of the button. Using an “X” pattern as you go up through one hole and down through another hole create an “X”. Do this for each of the remaining two holes on your button.

After finishing, cut off any excess thread. Be sure to leave about an inch of tail on the wrong side of fabric; otherwise your thread could show through buttons and not be as secure. Tuck or tie off this tail as soon as you finish; you could also consider making small bar tacks over long stitches on the backside for reinforcement purposes.

2. Place the Button on the Fabric

No matter if you are an experienced seamstress or simply adding buttons to a sweater, knowing how to sew a Button on correctly will prevent tearing or falling off down the road and give your work a polished, professional appearance. Once practiced, stitching a button from start to finish can typically take 2-3 minutes per button.

Begin by placing the button where desired and threading a needle through fabric, drawing thread through to the back side and tying off with a knot to secure it. Next, use a spacer (such as a toothpick, matchstick or pin) to poke up through another side of the buttonhole before threading your needle through to continue stitching your buttonholes. When finished stitching your first hole you may remove spacers and continue your stitching process as normal.

Stitch around the button with either criss crossing stitches or two parallel lines. For added security, create what is known as a shank by threading your needle through the back fabric near where your stitches are and passing it back out through its loop at the shank’s strands several times before wrapping thread several times around strands and knotting or trimming excess thread around its shank strands several times before knotting and trimming excess. Now it is time to test out your new button!

3. Insert the Needle Through the Button Holes

As soon as you’re ready, stab your needle through the front of fabric where you would like the button to be. Do this a few times until you are confident it has secured itself properly and begin stitching! For beginners who may find sewing difficult, lowering feed dogs (the “teeth” on your machine which push fabric across the needle plate) could prove helpful in getting you stitching right away.

Stitch through both button holes at once to form an “X”. When finished, tie a knot at the back of your fabric for security.

Repeat this process for each of the remaining button holes on your button to ensure a secure button. It is best to maintain a consistent pattern as you go, as this will help the button stay secure.

Once the last hole has been made, insert your needle without penetrating the button again – this will create a spacer to ensure proper functioning of the button. Wrap your thread several times around its shank – six should usually do.

Create a sturdy and functional shank for your button now, ready for use! Just be careful not to overstitch or pull too hard as this could weaken its stitches and lead to loose stitches or even their destruction altogether.

4. Stitch the Button Holes

At dry cleaners and tailors, seamstresses are most frequently asked to sew a button on buttons quickly but correctly so that the button stands the test of time.

First, mark the buttonhole width on both sides of fabric; add button thickness into this number so the opening will be large enough for it. Next, double thread your needle and know where its end lies – using two threads at once is faster and helps align stitches more accurately if creating four buttonholes instead of an X shape.

Once you are ready to stitch, begin by poking through one of the hole pairs and into the back of the shank with a fabric pusher. Next, stitch a bar that measures one buttonhole width at its top with either zigzag or satin stitches.

Repeat the previous process for each hole, taking care to fan out your stitches to form a rounded end and form bar tacks at each short end. Finally, go back over all of the buttonhole’s holes to ensure all are closed up, before trimming away any excess thread.