Featured

Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

17

Time Required

                          10 - 15 minutes

Sections

1

  • Button
  • 17 steps

Flags

2

Worn Wear

Patagonia and iFixit are celebrating the stories we wear by collaborating to provide guides for Patagonia’s most popular apparel repairs.

This guide has been found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

  • BackPatagonia Basic Sewing

  • Full Screen

  • Options

  • History

  • Save to Favorites

  • Download PDF

  • Edit

  • Translate

  • Get Shareable Link

  • Embed This Guide

  • Notify Me of Changes

  • Stop Notifications

Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Button
  • Locate the area where the button has gone missing.

Locate the area where the button has gone missing.

1024

Step 2

  • Overlap the buttonhole with where the button should be. Going through the buttonhole, mark the fabric below with tailor’s chalk.

Overlap the buttonhole with where the button should be. Going through the buttonhole, mark the fabric below with tailor’s chalk.

Step 3

  • Get a length of thread—about an arms-length should be more than enough.
  • Thread a needle.

Get a length of thread—about an arms-length should be more than enough.

Thread a needle.

Step 4

  • Let the needle slide down the thread until it hangs at the center. You should have two equal lengths of thread on either side of the needle.
  • Tie the loose ends of the thread together.

Let the needle slide down the thread until it hangs at the center. You should have two equal lengths of thread on either side of the needle.

Tie the loose ends of the thread together.

Step 5

  • Tie a second regular knot over the first one to make it bigger. You don’t want the thread slipping right through the grain of the fabric.

Tie a second regular knot over the first one to make it bigger. You don’t want the thread slipping right through the grain of the fabric.

Step 6

  • Poke the needle up through the chalk mark from the underside of the fabric.
  • Pull the thread taut, until the knot catches the backside of the fabric.

Poke the needle up through the chalk mark from the underside of the fabric.

Pull the thread taut, until the knot catches the backside of the fabric.

Step 7

  • Thread the needle through one hole of the button. You can pick any hole to start with.
  • Let the button drop all the way down onto the fabric.

Thread the needle through one hole of the button. You can pick any hole to start with.

Let the button drop all the way down onto the fabric.

Step 8

  • Push the needle through the buttonhole directly opposite the one you have already threaded.
  • Be sure to go through only the button, not the fabric.

Push the needle through the buttonhole directly opposite the one you have already threaded.

Be sure to go through only the button, not the fabric.

Step 9

  • Push the needle back through the fabric directly next to where you initially pushed the needle up.
  • Pull the thread taut, until the button lays flat on the fabric.

Push the needle back through the fabric directly next to where you initially pushed the needle up.

Pull the thread taut, until the button lays flat on the fabric.

Step 10

  • Push the needle back up through the backside of the fabric, directly next to the original knot
  • Work the needle up through one of the two remaining holes without thread .
  • Pull the thread taut.

Push the needle back up through the backside of the fabric, directly next to the original knot

Work the needle up through one of the two remaining holes without thread .

Pull the thread taut.

Step 11

  • Go back through the last remaining empty hole on the button.
  • Be sure to go through only the button, not the fabric.
  • Go back down through the fabric, as close as possible to the other two threads.
  • Pull the thread taut.

Go back through the last remaining empty hole on the button.

Go back down through the fabric, as close as possible to the other two threads.

Step 12

  • Drive the needle back up through the underside of the fabric and into the first hole that you threaded.
  • Pull the thread taut.

Drive the needle back up through the underside of the fabric and into the first hole that you threaded.

Step 13

  • Go back down through the second hole, directly across from the hole you just came up through.
  • Pull taut.

Go back down through the second hole, directly across from the hole you just came up through.

Pull taut.

Step 14

  • Push the needle up through the third hole again.
  • Pull it taut.
  • Push the needle down through the fourth hole and pull it taut.
  • Repeat steps 12-14 of this guide one more time, then proceed.

Push the needle up through the third hole again.

Pull it taut.

Push the needle down through the fourth hole and pull it taut.

Repeat steps 12-14 of this guide one more time, then proceed.

Step 15

  • You have sewn in the button. Now you need a knot to keep the button in place.
  • Push the needle through the loops of thread on the underside of the fabric. Be careful not to catch the fabric.

You have sewn in the button. Now you need a knot to keep the button in place.

Push the needle through the loops of thread on the underside of the fabric. Be careful not to catch the fabric.

Step 16

  • Leave some slack in the thread and draw the needle through the loop created by the slack.
  • Pull the thread taut, forming a knot.
  • Repeat steps 15 and 16 one more time to add a second knot.

Leave some slack in the thread and draw the needle through the loop created by the slack.

Pull the thread taut, forming a knot.

Repeat steps 15 and 16 one more time to add a second knot.

Step 17

  • Clip the excess thread off.
  • Check your button for stability.

Clip the excess thread off.

Check your button for stability.

Cancel: I did not complete this guide.

                                                                                      55 other people completed this guide.

Author

                                      with 4 other contributors 


                    Brittany McCrigler

Member since: 03/05/2012

87,796 Reputation

                                      132 Guides authored                  



                       Badges:
                       48







                                                        +45 more badges

mccreerydennis - Nov 26, 2013

Reply

What helps after the last step 14 is to wrap the thread around and around a few times underneath the button itself (binding all the threads together) and making one last pass through the cloth before the final knot. This makes the repair much more durable.

Matt - Dec 30, 2014

Reply

The wrapping below the button is not only more durable, but is actually frequently used when replacing buttons on blazers, sport coats, and the like as a protection from friction as the garment moves and shifts while being worn.

Jonathan Wells - Aug 6, 2018

Reply

Wrapping the threads underneath the button to create a shank is useful for coat buttons where the fabric is thick and you don’t want the fabric to pucker. As noted, it adds durability to the button attachment. On a shirt collar, as seen here, it would create too much bulk where you need the button to lie quite flat, so this method is quite sufficient.

Louie Leung - Aug 12, 2018

Reply

Thanks Jonathan. Great insight.

Brendan - Oct 30, 2022

Reply

Parfait, mon pantalon est comme neuf :)