I just had a button pop off one of my favorite shirts and I realized I’ve never actually sewn on a button before. I have the loose button and a small sewing kit, but I’m not sure what type of stitch to use, how to space the holes, or how tight it should be so the fabric doesn’t pucker. Could someone give clear, beginner-friendly steps on how to sew a button on securely so it looks neat and doesn’t fall off again?
Here is a simple step by step that works for most shirt buttons.
-
Gather stuff
Needle, thread, the button, scissors. If the shirt uses white thread, use white. For shirts, use double thread. So cut about 18 inches, put both ends through the needle, pull through, and knot the tails together. Now you have a loop. -
Find the spot
You often see old thread or holes where the button sat. If fabric ripped a bit, line the button up with the buttonhole side so the shirt closes right, then mark with a pen or a light pencil dot. -
Start the thread
From the inside of the shirt, push the needle to the front where one of the holes will be. Pull until the knot stops. Take one tiny stitch in place to anchor it. Do not pull too hard or the fabric puckers. -
Check nearby buttons
Look at another button on the same shirt.
Count the holes. Usually 4 for shirts.
Look at the direction of the stitches. Often they are either two parallel lines (||||) or an X. Try to match that so it looks the same. -
Make a thread shank
Most shirt buttons sit a little off the fabric, not flat. This gives space for fabric when you button it.
Take a small pin, toothpick, or even another needle. Lay it across the top of the button after your first stitch. You will be sewing over it. This keeps a small gap. -
Sew the holes
For a 4 hole button, sew like this:
If the others look like two lines
Front view:
[ o o ]
[ o o ]
Go up from the back through top left, down through bottom left. Repeat 3 to 5 times through those two holes. Then move to the other two holes, top right and bottom right. Do the same, 3 to 5 passes.
If the others look like an X
Sew from top left to bottom right a few times. Then from top right to bottom left a few times.
Keep tension snug but not tight. You want the button to wiggle a tiny bit.
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Make the shank
After you finish the holes, bring the needle out to the front between the button and shirt, not through a hole. Remove the pin or toothpick.
Now you see a little gap with thread in it. Wrap the thread around the threads under the button 4 to 6 times. This makes a neat “stem” that holds the button away from the fabric. Pull wraps snug. -
Secure on the back
Push the needle to the back.
On the inside of the shirt, take a tiny stitch in the fabric right under the button, only through the inner layer so it does not show on the front. Before you pull the thread all the way tight, put the needle through the thread loop once or twice and pull. That makes a knot. Do that 2 times.
Clip the thread tail close to the knot.
- Quick check
Button the shirt.
Make sure the button lines up with the buttonhole.
If the button feels too tight to push through, next time make more wraps on the shank or sew a bit looser. If it flops around, use more passes through the holes next time.
Extra tips
• If your shirt fabric is thin, keep stitches small on the back so it does not pull or wrinkle.
• If the button keeps popping in the same spot, back the area with a tiny piece of scrap fabric on the inside and sew through both layers.
• Standard shirt buttons hold fine with 4 to 8 passes of thread per pair of holes and a double thread.
First button will look a bit messy. Second one looks fine. Third one looks like you bought it that way.
Since @sonhadordobosque already gave you the “textbook” version, here’s the slightly lazier, real-life version that still works and doesn’t require you to be super precise.
1. Use single thread if you’re a beginner
They suggested double thread; I kind of disagree for your first try. Double thread tangles more.
- Cut about 20 inches of thread
- Put one end through the needle
- Pull until the needle is in the middle, then knot the two tails together
So you still sew with a doubled thread, but it behaves a bit less like a snarl of fishing line.
2. Skip the pen mark unless you’re lost
If you can still see the tiny holes or leftover fuzz where the button used to be, just aim for that spot. For a shirt, a millimeter off will not ruin your life. If there is no trace at all, button the shirt using the next button down, then lay the loose button where it naturally wants to sit and eyeball it.
3. Don’t overthink the stitch type
You asked what stitch to use: for shirt buttons, it’s basically just “up and down” through the holes. That’s it.
- 2-hole button: go straight up and down through both holes, 6 to 8 passes
- 4-hole button: pick either two parallel lines or an X like @sonhadordobosque said, but consistency matters more than “correctness.” Match the other buttons and you’re golden.
4. Shank or no shank?
I’ll mildly disagree again: you can skip the shank step for most casual shirts if the fabric is thin and you just want it back on now.
- If the fabric is thicker or the other buttons sit a bit raised, then yes, stick a pin / toothpick on top of the button and sew over it so it has that little gap.
If you skip it and the button feels tight, you’ll know for next time.
5. Fast, not fancy, way to finish
On the last pass, bring the needle to the back of the fabric.
- Take a tiny stitch in the fabric
- Before you pull it tight, poke your needle through the loop of thread and pull to make a knot
- Do that twice
- Trim close
6. Test and adjust
Button it up:
- If the button strains or pulls the fabric weirdly, your thread is too tight
- If it flops like crazy, you didn’t do enough passes
It will not look couture the first time, but it absolutely will survive the wash and nobody’s staring that closely at your shirt buttons anyway.
Couple of extra angles that might help, especially since you’ve already got great technique advice from @stellacadente and @sonhadordobosque.
1. Stabilize the fabric first
If the area where the button ripped off looks stretched or shredded, fix that before you even thread a needle.
- Cut a small square of similar-weight fabric (even from an old T‑shirt).
- Place it on the inside, behind where the button will sit.
- Tack it in place with 3 or 4 tiny stitches in the corners.
Now when you sew the button on, you’re sewing through shirt + backing, which keeps it from tearing again. This is what often saves favorite shirts long term.
2. Copy spacing with a “template” button
Instead of eyeballing the holes, unbutton the shirt and bring your loose button right next to a still-attached one. Line them up edge to edge, then lightly pinch the fabric behind both at once. You can feel through to see where the needle should come up so your stitches land in roughly the same grid as the surviving button. Helpful if you care how neat it looks but do not want to fuss with pens and perfect marking.
3. Vertical vs horizontal for comfort
Minor disagreement with the “doesn’t matter” school of thought: on shirts, the orientation actually affects wear a bit.
- Front placket of a shirt: horizontal stitches (holes side to side) often sit nicer and resist pulling when you move.
- Cuff / collar: vertical can sometimes sit flatter.
You can live without this detail, but if you’re reattaching a collar or cuff button, matching the original orientation really does help the fit.
4. Tiny insurance stitch
Once you’ve finished everything and knotted off on the inside, add one more “safety stitch”:
- Bring the needle up just under the edge of the button, catch a single thread of fabric, then go back down almost in the same spot.
- Knot that.
If your shank or main knot ever loosens, that little insurance stitch keeps the button from flying off mid‑day.
5. Test in “real life” position
Instead of just buttoning and unbuttoning in your hands, actually put the shirt on, close that button, move your arms around, sit down, twist a bit. If you feel it pulling hard or the buttonhole distorting, your stitch is too tight or the placement is slightly off. Better to fix while you still have needle and thread out.
About using a generic sewing kit (your stand‑in for “”)
Most shirt-button repairs are totally fine with the sort of small sewing kit you already have.
Pros
- Usually includes several thread colors, needles, and tiny scissors.
- Perfect for quick clothing emergencies.
- Compact and easy to stash in a drawer or bag.
Cons
- The thread quality can be weak, so buttons may pop sooner if you tug hard or wash hot.
- Needles are sometimes dull, which makes it harder to pierce tighter weaves like dress shirts.
- Little plastic buttons in those kits rarely match your existing shirt hardware.
If you plan to do this more than once or twice, upgrading to better polyester thread and a sharp needle is a bigger game changer than learning any fancy stitch. The methods from @stellacadente are “by the book” solid, and @sonhadordobosque gave a nice relaxed version, so with a slightly better thread/needle combo plus the stabilizing trick above, your repair will usually outlast the original factory stitching.