Common repairs

Sew a Missing Button Back On

Replace a button that has fallen off a shirt, coat or trousers so it holds firmly and sits at the right height. Hand sewing is the right method here, because a machine cannot sew a button onto a finished garment without special equipment.

Beginner15 minHand

What you will learn

Threading and knotting
Making a thread shank
Securing stitches

Materials and tools

Button that matches the others (check spare buttons sewn inside the hem or on a card)
Hand-sewing needle (sharps, size 7 or 8; size 5 for coats)
All-purpose polyester thread in a matching colour (button and carpet thread or heavy-duty thread for coats)
Toothpick or matchstick
Small scissors
Fabric chalk or a pin

Before you start

Assess the damage. Look at the spot where the button was. If you see only a few loose threads, the fabric is sound and you can sew straight away.
If the fabric has a hole or has pulled into a pucker, fuse a small square of lightweight interfacing behind the spot first, or the new button will tear out again. Check the care label and test the iron on a hidden area before fusing.
Check the other buttons. If they wobble, resew them now while you have the thread out.
Pull out the old thread ends with a pin or seam ripper. Fasten the garment and mark the button position by pressing a pin through the buttonhole into the fabric underneath.
Check the button type. A button with two or four holes is a sew-through button. A button with a loop on the back is a shank button. This tutorial covers sew-through buttons. A shank button is stitched the same way but without the toothpick.

Step by step

Cut 24 in (60 cm) of thread. Thread it through the needle, pull the ends level and tie them in a knot so you are sewing with a doubled thread of about 12 in (30 cm).
Bring the needle up from the wrong side of the fabric at the marked spot. Pull until the knot stops. Take two tiny stitches on top of each other at the spot to anchor the thread.
Slide the button onto the needle and down the thread, then lay the toothpick across the top of the button between the holes.
Sew down through one hole, across the fabric underneath the button, and up through the opposite hole, always passing over the toothpick. Repeat 5 or 6 times. On a four-hole button, do the second pair of holes the same way.
Bring the needle up between the button and the fabric and slide the toothpick out. Pull the button up so the stitches under it are slightly slack. That slack becomes the shank, which is the short stem of thread that lets the button sit above the cloth so the buttonhole can slip over it.
Wind the thread tightly around the stitches under the button 4 or 5 times, so the shank is firm and about as tall as the fabric is thick.
Push the needle through to the wrong side, take two small stitches in the fabric directly under the button, then make a loop and pass the needle through it twice to knot. Cut the thread close to the knot.

Tips for a neat result

Use a thicker toothpick for coat fabrics. A heavy fabric needs a taller shank.
To reinforce a button on a coat, sew a small flat button on the inside and stitch through both buttons together. It spreads the pull and stops the fabric tearing.
Dab a drop of fray sealant on the knot on the wrong side if the garment is washed often. Let it dry before wearing.

Common mistakes and fixes

The button sits flat and the buttonhole strains.

There was no shank. Unpick and resew with a toothpick, then wind thread around the stitches.

The button hangs too loose and flops.

The shank is too long. Use a thinner toothpick or wind more tightly. The shank should equal the thickness of the buttoned layers.

The thread keeps snapping at the button.

Regular thread rubs through on a coat. Switch to heavy-duty thread and sew the stitches in a doubled thread.

Safety and fabric care

Cut thread with scissors, not your teeth. Check the finished button for sharp edges that can snag fabric.

Check your result

The button does not wobble when you tug it gently.
The garment closes flat with no pulling lines around the button.
The shank is the same height as the other buttons.

Stop it happening againSew buttons on with a shank and a doubled thread, check the others every few months, and avoid fastening a garment that is too tight.

When to use a professionalTake it to a tailor if the button band is torn, if the garment is leather or heavily lined, or if the buttons are decorative shanks on delicate silk.

Projects that use this

Sew on a Loose or Missing ButtonBeginner20 min