One of the most basic skills a child should learn is how to handle a needle and thread.  The first lesson is simple – how to sew a button.  Sewing is a basic skill which will come in handy when they have clothes to repair, and for many other things!

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Why a Child Needs to Know How to Sew a Button

We live in a disposable society. When we lose a button or tear a seam, we find it easier to just toss the garment and replace it. In today’s world, that can be come expensive.

Teaching your child the basics of sewing can help their clothing last longer. It also teaches them basic skills, and responsibility for taking care of their belongings.

an open sewing basket holding fabric, tomato pin cushion, embroidery thread, cloth measuring tape, crochet hook

Get Them Started with Sewing

It helps to have a sewing basket on hand. Stock up a small basket with sewing supplies that your child can grab anytime they need to sew a button back in place or replace one.

A basic sewing basket will contain a pair of scissors, package of needles, assorted thread, and a few extra buttons. Some clothing comes with extra buttons. Place these in a small container and put it in their sewing basket. They will then have them handy if they lose one.

Here’s How to Sew a Button

Place your button in as close to the exact place where the other one was, or where the new one is needed. Be sure you line it up with the buttonhole!

a threaded needle on a pink piece of fabric

Step One

Next – thread your needle, using approximately two to three feet of thread. Match up the two ends and tie a double knot.

a red button being sewn onto green and white checked fabric

Step Two

Now. Holding the button firmly in place with one hand, guide the needle from the underside of the fabric, up through the fabric and into the bottom right hand hole of the button. Pull your thread all the way until the knot is flush with the fabric. Don’t pull too hard, or you will pull the thread and knot all the way out.

a red button beign sewn onto green and white checked fabric

Step Three

Still holding the button straight and tight, guide your needle through the top left hand hole of the button. Pull thread tight.

Now, from the underside, push your needle through the fabric and into the bottom left hand hole of the button.

a red button being sewn onto green and white checked fabric

Step Four

Next, push your needle through the top right hole of the button, again pulling tight. Continue this pattern until you have secured the button with three or four rounds of sewing, finishing with the needle on the underneath side of the fabric.

the completed knot of pink thread to hold a button in place

Turn the fabric over and run the needle carefully through the threads you have just sewn, being careful not to run it through the fabric. Pull until a small loop is left.

pink thread being knotted to hold on a button

Run the needle through the loop and pull tightly. Do this twice.

red button sewn onto green and white checked fabric

Clip the thread. Flip the fabric over and smile! You have just successfully sewn on a button. Who knows? Next you might just be sewing all your own clothes!

Learning to Sew a Button is Just the Beginning

Once your child has mastered the art of how to sew a button, begin teaching them how to repair seams, adjust hems, and other basic sewing tasks. From there, they can begin sewing their own small projects and making their friends fun gifts.

By creating their own handmade items, they not only learn new skills, but also the benefits of being frugal!

Julie Murphree is a blogger, newspaper columnist, and speaker on all things ‘Living a Simple Life on the Farm’. She is the author of \\\'The Farm Wife – Living a Simple Life on the Farm. She and her husband have 60 acres in NW Louisiana where they actively work on living as sustainable as possible.

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