How to Sew a Button Hole By Hand

Buttonholes are easy to sew by hand, but they do take some practice. You may want to sew a buttonhole by hand if you don’t have a sewing machine or your machine doesn’t have a buttonhole stitch, or you may just find sewing by hand faster and easier. First, you’ll need to choose what kind of button you want to use. After you cut a slit in the fabric the size of the button, you’ll need to stitch around the hole to keep the fabric from raveling and to keep the hole from tearing. The whip stitch works great for buttonholes, since it’s simple to do and it makes the thread cover the edge of the hole.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fabric
• Matching thread
• Button
• Hand sewing needle
• Scissors
• Straight pins or dressmaker’s chalk

1. Position the button on the fabric where you want the buttonhole. Mark the top and bottom of the button with pins or dressmaker’s chalk.

2. Cut a slit in the fabric between the two marks.

3. Cut a piece of thread about 18 inches long. Insert the end of the thread through the eye of the needle and pull the thread until the ends are lined up.

4. Tie a large knot in the ends of the thread by making a loop about 1 inch from the end. Insert the end of the threads through the loop and pull the loop closed, forming a knot. Repeat this until you have about three knots on top of each other, forming one large knot.

5. Poke the needle through the underside of the fabric, close to the top of the hole.

6. Bring the needle through the hole and poke it through the underside of the fabric again, very close to the previous stitch.

7. Repeat step 6 until you have stitched completely around the button hole. Make sure to keep the stitches small and close together.

8. Tie a knot in the thread by poking the needle through the underside of the fabric, then inserting the needle through the loop of thread. Pull the thread tight until it forms a knot. Repeat this once to make sure the knot is secure.

9. Clip off the end of the thread close to the knot.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to make the buttonhole the right size for the button. If the hole is too small, it will be difficult or impossible to slip the button through. If the hole is too large, the button could slip through accidentally, and it won’t hold the garment closed.
• Use caution when working with sewing needles and scissors.