How to Replace a Button

Keeping your clothes in tip-top shape is one of the easiest and smartest green things you can do. You see all those poseurs out there with pre-ripped jeans, pre-scuffed hats and pre-faded shirts, and it's really kind of annoying. What kind of society do we live in where it's more cool to pretend to have old clothes instead of actually having old clothes. It boggles my mind. But look, I'm not judging. I'm just saying.

If you want to have actual old clothes, and keep those clothes looking good for as long as possible, then you should probably learn to sew. I can sew, and that should prove that it's not hard.

One of the most commonly lost or damaged items on clothing is the button. Buttons live on the edge of your shirt and often get caught and torn off. Luckily, they are easy to repair.

This is what you need.

How to Replace a Button

A shank button Thread Scissors Needle

1. Thread needle. (You may need to squint.)

2. You will need about 1ft - 1ft 1/2 of thread.

3. Make a knot in the end of the thread.

4. Find the place where the button will go. We will button-side the exterior side and the non-button side the interior side for simplicity's sake.

5. Pierce garment with the needle on the interior side. Run the thread through. The knot should catch.

6. Thread the button on to the needle.

7. Run thread through the exterior side a 1/8 inch from your initial hole.

8. Loop thread through the shank about a half dozen times.

9. Make a small stitch on the interior part of the garment.

10. Loop thread around needle twice to make a new knot.

11. Pull needle through.