How to Sew On a Button So It Stays On for Years

A button pops off your coat on the way to work, you stitch it back that evening, and three weeks later it is dangling by a single thread again. Most people know roughly how to sew on a button, but the ones that fall off again were usually missing two small things: a thread shank and a proper knot underneath.

I teach mending to beginners, and this is the first repair everyone asks about. The good news is that a button sewn the right way takes about ten minutes and can outlast the garment. Here is the method I use, with the thread, needle and spacing details that make the difference.

What you need to sew on a button

You do not need a sewing machine or anything fancy. Gather these before you start:

• A hand sewing needle, size 7 to 9 for shirts and trousers, or a slightly heavier size 5 for coats.
• Thread that matches the fabric weight. All-purpose polyester works for shirts and blouses. For coats, jackets and jeans, use button and craft thread or topstitching thread, which is roughly twice as thick.
• A spacer such as a toothpick, a matchstick or a second needle. This is what creates the shank.
• Small scissors and a pin or chalk to mark the spot.
• Optional: a thimble for thick fabrics and a small piece of beeswax to stop the thread tangling.

Match thread colour to the button for shirts, where stitches show on the front. For coats, matching the fabric hides the stitches better on the inside.

Step by step: sew on a flat button that stays put

Flat buttons have two or four holes through the face. This method works for both.

1. Mark the exact spot. Close the garment, push a pin through the buttonhole into the fabric beneath, and mark where it lands. Old thread holes are a good guide if they are still visible.
2. Thread the needle with a doubled length of about 60 cm, so you work with four strands of 30 cm. Knot the two ends together. Run the thread over beeswax once if it tends to twist.
3. Anchor the thread on the right side by taking two tiny stitches in the same spot, right where the button will sit. The button will cover this, and it holds far better than a knot alone.
4. Place the button and the spacer. Bring the needle up through one hole, lay a toothpick across the top of the button between the holes, and sew down through the opposite hole, passing over the toothpick.
5. Make six to eight passes through each pair of holes. On a four-hole button, sew two parallel bars or a cross, but use the same pattern as the other buttons on the garment.
6. Remove the spacer. Pull the toothpick out and lift the button up, away from the fabric, so the loose threads underneath are pulled tight.
7. Wrap the shank. Bring the needle up between the button and the fabric, then wind the thread firmly around those vertical threads five or six times. This forms a stiff stem.
8. Finish on the wrong side. Push the needle through to the back, take three small stitches through the existing threads, and then make a knot by passing the needle through a loop twice before pulling it snug. Trim, leaving 5 mm.

How long the shank should be

The shank needs to equal the thickness of the fabric around the buttonhole. On a cotton shirt that might be 1 to 2 mm, so a single toothpick is plenty. On a wool coat with a thick, faced buttonhole, aim for 4 to 6 mm, which means using a matchstick or two toothpicks side by side.

Shank buttons and coat buttons

Some buttons have a loop or stem on the back instead of holes through the front. These already have a built-in shank, so you skip the spacer. Sew through the loop six to eight times, keeping the stitches parallel to the buttonhole so the button sits straight when fastened.

Heavy coats benefit from a backing button. This is a small, flat, plain button sewn on the inside directly behind the main one, with the same thread passing through both. It spreads the pull across a wider area and stops the button from tearing a hole in the fabric. Many coats come with a spare sewn to an inside label for exactly this reason.

Why you should skip glue and clear nail polish

A popular tip says to dab clear nail polish or fabric glue on the threads to lock them. I tell my students not to bother, and for a specific reason.

Polish and glue harden the threads, and stiff thread breaks where it bends, right at the point where the button flexes every time you fasten it. They also leave a shiny, hard spot that can mark delicate fabrics in the wash. A well wrapped shank and a proper knot through the existing stitches will hold for years without any of that. If a button keeps coming loose, the cause is almost always a missing shank or too few passes, not a lack of glue.

One more piece of popular advice I would drop: knotting the thread with a big lump on the wrong side. A large knot pulls through loose weaves and rubs against skin. Two anchor stitches on the right side, under the button, do the job better.

Fixing a torn spot before you sew

If the button ripped out and took fabric with it, sewing over the hole will fail again. Cut a small patch of lightweight fusible interfacing, about 2 cm square, and iron it to the wrong side of the fabric behind the tear. On a coat, a scrap of matching wool tacked behind the hole works just as well. Then sew the button through both layers.

For larger tears, or for repairs on the front of a garment, the techniques in mending a garment so the repair does not show are worth learning before you stitch. And once buttons are under control, a hand-sewn blind hem is the natural next repair to tackle. You will find more beginner projects in our sewing and textiles guides.

Frequently asked questions

How many times should you sew through a button?

Six to eight passes through each pair of holes is enough with doubled thread. That gives 24 to 32 strands holding the button. More passes than that tend to crowd the holes and make the shank lumpy.

What thread is best for sewing on buttons?

All-purpose polyester thread works well for shirts and light garments. For coats, jeans and bags, use a heavier button and craft thread. Cotton thread looks nice but wears through faster on buttons that get daily use.

Why do my buttons keep falling off?

Usually the thread was sewn tight against the fabric with no shank, so the buttonhole saws at the threads every time you fasten it. Weak single thread and a knot that sits only on the back also fail quickly. Adding a wrapped shank fixes most repeat losses.