This tutorial might be a little simple for many people, but three times in the past month I talked to people who had lost coat buttons. This reminded me of my mom who always says, “You girls (my sister and I) are just so good at sewing… I can’t even sew on a button!” And for a while neither could I, at least not properly. If you sew on a button properly your fabric will hang well, and your button is less likely to pop off again.

This projects requires a needle, sturdy thread (I am using nylon) and the button to be replaced. Thread the needle so that there are two untied thread ends on one side of the eye, and a u-shape to the thread on the other side of the needle. You’ll also need a spacer, such as a toothpick, another needle, or in my case I used a match stick.

Find the place you want to attach the button. Insert your needle from the back to the front, and do not pull the thread all the way through. Then stitch down, front to back and thread the needle through loop of the u-shape and pull tight. Then send the needle back up to the top through one of the holes you’ve already made.

Insert your needle through the button hole. Then place a match stick, or other spacer under the button before you sew back down. Pass through the button holes two or three times keeping the match stick in between.

On the final stitch down through the button holes, don’t sew through the fabric. Just stitch into the space between the fabric and the button. Remove the match stick, and notice how your stitches are loose. This is on purpose so you can create a button shank. A button shank creates space between the button and the fabric for the other fabric to fill when the button is closed.

To make the shank wrap the thread around and around the stitches between the button and the fabric. You want to wrap until the stitches on top of the button are tight. Then put the needle through the fabric to the back and tie it off.

Now you’ve got a nice neat button. And this is a good thing in January!