How to Sew a Button | Video Tutorial

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Everyone should know how to do this basic sewing skill. This is how to sew a button.

Whether you are a skilled sewer, or not, I believe everyone should know how to sew a button. If you own anything with a button on it, you should know how to sew it. Sewing your own clothes will require you to know how to sew a button, but even ready-to-wear clothing can have a button come loose. In fact, I have purchased an item of clothing that had buttons very poorly sewn on and they all had to be re-sewn.

Types of Buttons

I will show you how to sew three different types of buttons.

The technique for sewing a button is pretty much the same for all three buttons.

How to Sew a Button – 2-Hole Button

I am sharing with you the technique that my mother taught me. There is more than one way to sew a button. There are several ways. But this is the way she taught me and I know it works and it’s not too hard.

Thread your needle. I like to use a double strand, as it is stronger. You don’t need to make a knot on the end.

After deciding which way you want to orient your button, make a tiny, 1/8-inch stitch where the button will go.

Pull your thread through, but leave a 2.5 – 3 inch tail. So don’t pull it all the way through in other words. It helps to keep your thumb on that end so you don’t accidentally pull it all the way through.

Working from the bottom of the button, push your needle up through one of the holes of the button.

Put your needle down the other hole. Put your needle through the fabric so that it goes to the back. Pull your thread snug, or taut, but don’t tug too tight as you want to maintain that tail from the beginning. You have now completed one stitch.

Push your needle up through the top hole. You can look at the original stitch to get a good guess as to where that would be, otherwise, you can kind of do it by feel. Be sure to hold the button straight so you don’t sew it on crooked.

Go down the other hole again. This is your second stitch. Do this again for a total of 3 stitches.

Now that your stitches are done, push your needle up through the fabric, but don’t go up the hole. Instead, come out underneath, right beside the button. Turn your work sideways so that you can see.

Wind the thread in a clockwise motion, 3 times around the button.

Using your thread and the tail you created at the beginning, tie a knot.

Trim ends. It should be hidden underneath the button.

How to Sew a Button – 4-hole button

This is done similarly. Start with your little stitch.

You will be working from top to bottom, diagonally. So put your needle up through the top right hole and then go down the bottom left hole.

Then go up through the top left hole and then go down the bottom right hole.

You should have sewn a small “x” on the button. This is considered 1 round. Do this for a total of 3 rounds.

After your 3 rounds, bring your needle up again, but not through any of the holes – just come out underneath the button.

Wind the thread clockwise around the button 3 times. Tie a knot with the beginning thread tail and trim.

How to Sew a Button – Shank Button

Although this button looks different, it can be sewn in the same way. Instead of holes that go through all the way, you have a tunnel underneath.

Decide how you want to orient the button. This determines if the tunnel will be horizontal or vertical.

Make your starting stitch the same direction as the tunnel.

Insert your needle through one end of the tunnel and then out the other end. I tend to work right to left. Regardless, just make sure you are consistent. This is one stitch.

Take your needle down through the fabric.

Bring your needle back up so that it pokes up beside the tunnel (for me, this is the right side again). Go through the tunnel and then back down into the fabric. This is your second stitch.

Repeat the process for a minimum of 3 stitches. Sometimes shank buttons are heavy-duty and used for outerwear. If that is the case, you may wish to consider a heavy-duty thread or making a few more stitches to make sure it is secure.

Once your stitches are done, bring your needle up beside the tunnel again and then wrap your thread around the base of the button at least 3 times. Again, if this is to be more heavy-duty, wrap it around a couple extra times for good measure.

Knot your thread and trim.

How to Sew a Button – Video Tutorial

Here is a video of me sewing all three types of buttons. You may find this helpful, in addition to the directions above.

As you can see, the process is similar, regardless of the type of button. Three times seems to be a good rule of thumb – three stitches and wind it around three times.

Growing up, I would watch my mother sew buttons this way and she taught me to do it this way. I am happy to share this with you.

Want to remember how to sew a button? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.