How to Sew Buttons on Dress Shirts

Easily repair a button in only a few minutes.

The ability to sew buttons back on to coats, dresses, pants and shirts can save you both hassle and money spent on a tailor. Even better is the fact that sewing a button on takes very little skill or time to master, and if your stitching isn't perfect, the button will hide the imperfections.

Things You'll Need

• thread
• scissors
• needle
• button
• fabric glue

Instructions

1. Measure a length of thread about 12 inches long and cut.

2. Thread the needle by pushing one end of the thread through the eye (the hole) of the needle. Pull the thread until both ends of the thread meet. Knot the ends so the thread is secured.

3. Position the button on the dress shirt where the original button was sewn.

4. Push the threaded needle through one of the holes in the button from behind the cloth. Pull until the knot in the end of the thread is firmly against the back of the cloth.

5. Push the needle through the opposite hole in the button. Some buttons have two holes, and some have four. Alternate pushing the needle through all holes, moving from front to back, until the button is secured; two to three passes is sufficient.

6. Pull the thread firmly when the needle is on the backside of the button and cloth. Secure the thread with fabric glue by laying the thread flat against the cloth and placing a dot of fabric glue over the thread directly behind the button. This will bind the thread to the cloth.

7. Snip the excess thread.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose thread that matches the thread used to sew the other buttons on the dress shirt. If this can't be done, white and black are colors that generally do not attract attention.