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Easy Way to Quickly Sew a Flat or Shank Button (Step By Step)

Sew a flat or shank style button quickly and easily!
Keyword button, sewing
Active time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 button
Author Laura Gummerman
Cost $1

Equipment

  • 1 Pair of scissors
  • 1 sewing needle a multi-pack has several options for different thread weights)
  • 1 straight pin

Ingredients

Instructions

STEPS TO SEW A FLAT BUTTON (TWO OR FOUR HOLE):

  • Thread the needle: Cut a piece of thread about 24″ long and thread it through a needle halfway so that both ends are equally as long (you can use a self-threading needle like this for easy threading). Keeping your strands together, tie a knot at the end to tie them together.
  • Position the button: Position the button where you want it on your garment (make sure the holes are facing the same direction as the other buttons nearby). Check to see that it is the right spot for the buttonhole if it’s on a coat, shirt, or jacket. You can also use a disappearing marking pen to mark the spot if you wish.
  • Start your first stitch: Pull your needle up through one of the holes from the underside of the fabric, pulling it all the way through until the knot stops you. Push the needle back down through the second hole and pull the needle all the way through again.
    If you have a button with 4 holes instead of just 2, you’ll come up through one hole and cross to the button hole diagonal from that hole rather than straight down so you are creating an “X” rather than an “=” as you sew.
  • Use a straight pin as a spacer: Place a straight pin under the button between the button and the fabric in the middle of your stitching. Having this pin there gives a little bit of space so the button isn’t sewn too tight.
  • Finish sewing: Continue sewing your stitches by coming up from the bottom and going down into the next hole several times until the button feels secure when you pull on it.
  • Create a shank (optional): On your final stitch, come up through the material but come out underneath the button rather than through the button hole again. Take out the straight pin and wind your thread between the button and fabric to strengthen the button and create a shank (this gives you some space between the button and the fabric so it can be buttoned comfortably). Push the needle back down through the material, next to the shank, so it’s on the underside of your material.
    *If you are sewing on a decorative button that doesn’t go through a buttonhole, you can skip this step of winding it around to create a shank.
  • Tie off thread on underside: To finish, catch a little bit of the underside material with your needle and pull it almost all the way through so that you have a small loop of thread. Pass the needle back through the thread and pull it tight to create a knot. Cut the thread close to the knot to finish.

STEPS TO SEW A SHANK BUTTON:

  • Thread the needle: Cut a piece of thread about 24″ long and thread it through a needle halfway so that both ends are equally as long (you can use a self-threading needle like this for easy threading). Keeping your strands together, tie a knot at the end to tie them together.
  • Position the button: Position the button where you want it on your garment. Check to see that it is the right spot for the buttonhole if it’s on a coat, shirt, or jacket. You can also use a disappearing marking pen to mark the spot if you wish.
  • Start your first stitch: Push your needle through a small bit of the material on the spot where you want the button to go. Pull it all the way through.
  • Thread your button: Thread the needle through the shank of your button.
  • Attach the button: Thread the needle through a small bit of fabric again like you did earlier and pull tight to attach the button.
    Continue to pass the needle through the button shank and then through the small bit of fabric underneath several times until it feels secure when you pull on it.
  • Tie off the thread: To finish, make another pass through the small bit of material and pull it almost all the way through so that you have a small loop of thread. Pass the needle back through the thread and pull it tight to create a knot. Cut the thread close to the knot to finish.