I’ve said before that the easiest way to alter the look of a garment is by changing the buttons. But many people are still afraid to pick up the needle, thread, and scissors and get to it. Here are some helpful guides and hints so that you can reattach missing buttons and totally change buttons to revamp and customize a garment.
How to Sew On a Button is one of my favorite places to send button-beginners. This is a really good visual set of step-by-step instructions. The photos are small but clear and can be enlarged. This list does not include what I think is the most important part of the button-sewing process, creating the neck.
But the How to Sew on a Button video does! This video is a fantastic resource if you have ever been intimidated by buttons. The no-nonsense narrator and highly competent button-sewer show just how simple a process this can be.
If, instead of replacing a single missing button, you are changing buttons entirely, remember to take a button from your garment along with you to the store. That way you can reference it for size. Buttons that are too large can make a garment impossible to fasten. Buttons that are too small almost guarantee that your garment will pop open during awkward moments!
