How to Sew a Shank Button (So It Never Falls Off)
A properly sewn shank button outlives the garment. It takes four minutes and one trick most people skip. Here’s the method tailors use.
You’ll need
Strong thread (doubled polyester or waxed button thread), a needle, and your shank button. For coats: a small flat backing button for the inside.
Step 1 — Anchor invisibly
Start with two tiny stitches on the right side of the fabric, exactly where the button sits, leaving no knot tail. The button will cover them completely.
Step 2 — Orient the shank
Turn the shank so its hole runs parallel to the buttonhole. This lets the button pivot naturally when buttoned and halves the stress on the thread.
Step 3 — Six to eight passes
Stitch through the shank and fabric 6–8 times with doubled thread, keeping tension even — snug, not strangled. On coats, catch the backing button on the inside with the same stitches.
Step 4 — Lock it
Finish on the right side under the button. Wrap the thread twice around the stitch bundle, then make three small knots through it and trim close. That wrap-and-knot is the step that keeps buttons on for decades.
Repair wisdom from the archive
When one button goes, its siblings are usually tired too. Rather than matching one 30-year-old button (though we can often do exactly that), most menders replace the full set — see coat buttons and jacket buttons for matched vintage sets at about $2–3 per button.
Frequently asked
What thread should I use for coat buttons?
Doubled all-purpose polyester or, better, waxed button/craft thread. Heavy garments deserve heavy thread — most lost buttons are thread failures, not button failures.
How many stitches through a shank?
Six to eight passes through the shank loop is plenty with doubled thread. More adds bulk without strength.
Why do my coat buttons keep falling off?
Usually thin thread, no knot lock, or stress from a too-tight buttonhole. Use doubled strong thread, finish with three knots buried between fabric and button, and check the buttonhole isn't forcing the button.
Should shank buttons have a backing button?
On leather, suede and loosely woven coats, yes — a small flat button on the inside spreads the load and stops the shank tearing the fabric. The archive's small 2-hole buttons work perfectly for this.
