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How to Sew a Button on a Heavy Coat

Don't get rid of your winter coat or stash it in the back of the closet, never to be worn again, simply because it's lost a button. Learning to sew a button back onto even thick wool coats is easy with a bit of practice and preparation, and doesn't take much time or skill. You can sew a button on while watching your favorite television show, listening to the radio, or chatting with a friend. Use a heavy, sharp needle to be sure that you don't get hurt forcing a flimsy needle through heavy material, and try to choose a thread that matches that used on the other buttons. Chances are, no one will ever know that the button ever fell off.

Things You'll Need

Polyester thread
Scissors
Sharp, dense needle, No. 2 through No. 5 size
Button
Coat
Toothpick (optional)
Tailor's chalk (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Cut an 18-inch long length of thread. Thread one end through the eye of the needle. Line up both ends of the thread and tie a knot in the end, so that the thread is doubled, and the needle secured.
- 2
  Unbutton the coat and lay on a flat surface. Locate the spot where the button fell off of. There may be a few threads remaining or holes visible in the fabric, which can help you find the right place. Mark the spot with tailor's chalk if you'd like, or simply place the button on top of the spot and hold it in place with a finger or two.
- 3
  Push the needle through the back of the fabric and up through the hole in the button on the top left corner. The knotted end of the thread should be on the inside of the coat.
- 4
  Set the toothpick down on top of the button, between the holes on the left and right. Bring the needle and thread over and down through the top right hole on the button, taking care not to tie the button on so tightly that it will not slip into its adjoining button hole. Draping the thread over a toothpick is a good way to prevent yourself from stitching too tightly.
- 5
  Bring the needle back up through the left top hole, then down into the right top hole. Repeat up to 10 times, then stitch the bottom holes in a similar manner. Finish by bringing the needle and thread through the bottom right hole, but not all the way through the fabric.
- 6
  Remove the toothpick if you used it, and gently slide the button up, so that the threads press against it. There will be a short pile of threads underneath the button, called the shank. Wrap the needle and thread around the shank three times, then push the needle through the center of the shank and around the loop that forms to make a knot. Pull tightly, then trim any excess thread.

Sewing