This is our very first sewing project together!
Of course, this is a very basic thing, but so many people don’t know how to do this any longer. We have buttons on all sorts of things, and if one happens to pop off, a lot of people aren’t able to fix it. Luckily, sewing a button on is pretty simple, so let’s get into it.
First, thread your needle. This can be tricky, and there are a million ways to do it. I’m pretty fond of the lick the end of the thread, close one eye and squint, then push it through and pray method. For a button, I like to double the thread, so I will pull it through the needle until the ends are even, and then tie a knot at the end.
Next, line up the button. You will need to make sure that it is in a place where it can go through the buttonhole on the other side easily. If it’s not perfectly lined up, your shirt (or whatever) will pull a little weirdly, so take your time to make sure it is lined up well.
From the back of the fabric, poke the needle tip through the fabric and up through one of the holes of the button. Pull the needle and thread all the way through so that the knot on the end of the thread is tight against the fabric back. You are going to go down and back through a different hole, again pulling the thread all the way through and tight. Don’t do it super tight, as you will have to be able to close the fabric over the button when you button that shirt after all.
You will repeat this up and down process several times. If your button has four holes, you will want to make sure that you go up and down through each hole several times. Once complete, come up through the back, but NOT through a button hole so that your thread is between the button and the fabric front. Wrap the thread around the threads securing the button to the fabric several times to create what is called a “shank.” This shank helps stabilize the button action of being fastened. Go back down through the fabric to the back, then tie off the thread and cut off the excess.
That’s it! You’ve just sewn on your first button! I’m so proud of you!