Guide to Sewing a Shank Button

There are two basic types of buttons, flat buttons and shank buttons. A shank button has a raised area on the back of the button which is used to sew on the button. The depth of the shank is variable and something you should watch for when choosing a button. If you are looking for a button to close a heavy wool coat, you will want a deeper shank then if it is for closing a lightweight jacket or a blouse because of the thickness of the fabric at the buttonhole location. A short shank button in a heavy coat will not stay buttoned because the button will pull back out since it is too short to stay on top of the buttonhole. This article mainly introduces how to sew a shank button.

What You Need

Thread

Needle

Shank button

Fabric marker

Embroidery scissors

How to Sew a Shank Button

1. Thread the Needle. Use a needle that’s appropriate for the fabric you are working with (a lighter needle for finer fabrics and a heavier one for thicker fabrics). The thread can be the same one you use to sew the rest of the project, or you can purchase a heavy topstitching or buttonhole thread for extra strength. Thread the needle so it’s in the middle of two equal lengths of thread.

2. Tie a Knot. Make a knot at the end of the two lengths of thread.

3. Locate where you will be sewing the metal button on to the garment. Place the needle into the fabric, starting at the backside of the garment, bringing it up through the garment.

4. Make two or three stitches in the fabric, without the button to anchor your thread, keeping the stitches in the area, under where the metal shank button will be located.

5. Place the small button over the anchor stitches, on the inside of the garment. Make one anchor stitch to anchor this inside button. This clothe button is optional.

6. Bring the needle up to the top of the garment, bring the thread through the button shank and back through the fabric.

7. Pull the stitch semi-tight. The custom shank button should still stand up over the fabric. Do not pull the threads tight enough to sink the shank into the fabric.

8. Stitch through the back button and up through the shank again, repeating to have about 6 stitches holding your shank button on to the garment.

9. Bring the needle up to the shank button and wrap the thread around the threads which are holding the shank button. Create a loop of thread on one side of the threads and bring the needle aground through the loop. Pull the threads tight. Make at least three blanket stitches around the threads that are holding the shank button. This helps hold the small shank button securely and prevents the button from rubbing the threads, causing the button to fall off.

10. Bring the needle to the back of the fabric, knot it off and cut.