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button repair

How to Sew On a Two- or Four-Hole Button

Sew a flat two-hole button with straight passes, or choose an X or parallel bars for a four-hole button. Add a thread shank when the button needs clearance.

By ThatPainter Team 3 min read
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To sew on a flat two- or four-hole button, anchor doubled thread on the back of the fabric, stitch repeatedly through the button’s holes, then secure the thread on the back. For a four-hole button, sew either an X or two parallel bars. If the button needs space to clear a thick garment or pass through its buttonhole, stitch over a toothpick or spare needle and wrap the resulting thread slack into a shank.

What you need

  • A needle, thread, the button, and scissors.
  • Optional: a needle threader or thimble if either makes sewing easier.
  • For a thread shank, a toothpick or spare needle to use as a temporary spacer.

UF/IFAS Extension recommends cutting about 16 inches of thread, threading the needle, bringing the two ends together, and knotting them. Its guide notes that a single strand is normally not strong enough unless the thread is thick. See UF/IFAS Extension’s 2021 button-sewing guide.

Choose the button and stitch route

These instructions are for flat buttons with holes through the face. A two-hole button takes a straight, dash-like stitch path between its holes. A four-hole button can be sewn with crossed stitches that form an X or with two parallel bars; keep the same pattern on each pass. Both patterns are suitable when the thread and stitching are adequate, so choose based on appearance.

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A shank button is different: it has a loop or stem on the back instead of holes through its face. Sew through that loop. It already stands away from the fabric, so you do not need to create a thread shank for it.

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How to sew on a flat two-hole button

  1. Position the button. If the original position is unclear, use the garment’s buttonhole as a guide to mark where the button belongs.
  2. Anchor the thread. Bring the knotted thread from the wrong side of the fabric to the right side at the marked position.
  3. Stitch through the holes. Pass the needle through one hole, then return through the other. Repeat the passes until the button is secure.
  4. Secure the thread on the back. Finish on the inside of the garment and knot the thread off.

How to sew on a flat four-hole button

  1. Choose a pattern. For an X, stitch diagonally between opposite holes. For parallel bars, stitch back and forth through one pair of aligned holes, then the other.
  2. Repeat the same route. Make repeated passes through both pairs of holes, keeping the X or parallel-bar pattern consistent.
  3. Finish on the reverse. Bring the needle to the inside of the garment and knot off the thread.

When and how to make a thread shank

A thread shank is a small wrapped length of thread between a flat button and the garment. It leaves clearance when the fabric is thick or the button needs room to pass through its buttonhole. UF/IFAS describes the function of a button shank as raising the button above the fabric so it can sit above and pass through the buttonhole.

  1. Place a toothpick or spare needle between the button and fabric while sewing through the holes.
  2. Once the button is attached, remove the spacer. The thread slack will leave a gap under the button.
  3. Wrap the loose thread several times around the strands in that gap, between the button and fabric.
  4. Pass the needle through to the inside of the garment and knot off.
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Can you attach a button with a sewing machine?

Some sewing machines can attach buttons, but the controls and stitch settings depend on the model. Check that the machine needle fits through the button’s holes, then follow the instructions for your particular machine rather than borrowing settings from another model. Brother USA’s button-sewing instructions are specific to its machine support and should not be treated as a universal sequence.

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