Best way to get a jacket button fixed/fix it myself?
Asked by
zarnold (
713
)
December 31st, 2008
I accidentally tore one of the buttons on my new jacket; it’s hanging on by a thread and is pretty much useless right now. Is there a sure way to fix it, or is there any way I can get a replacement or something if it’s only a few days old? Thanks!
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11 Answers
If you know how to sew, I’d fix it yourself. Or get someone else to sew it on for you.
I find that the buttons that I’ve sewed back on are often stronger than what they were before. Plus, you don’t have to spend any money.
If the actual cloth of the jacket is torn, it’s a more complex fix than if the button is just hanging by a thread with no other damage.
It’s not hard to fix. Everything Seekingwolf said is correct.
If it’s (new) from a department store, they might repair it for free. If you aren’t confident in your skills, I would pay the $5 the cleaners will charge to do a professional job.
As to sewing it on…. get a needle and some thread that matches the color of the jacket or button or both (your choice).
Thread the needle (if you go to Walgreens, you can pick up a cheap emergency sewing kit—it will have a weird looking metal and wire device. Shove the wire diamond through the eye of the needle, insert thread, and pull back—voila!).
Figure out how loosely or tightly the button should be attached to the jacket by looking at the other buttons. Find something that thickness and use it as something solid between the button and jacket.
Knot the thread. Sew up through the jacket first so that the knot is caught on the inside. Sew into one hole on the button, turn the needle upside down and sew right down through another hole. Continue this process a few times.
When you are done, cut the thread and knot it on the underside of the jacket. This means your last stitch is down, through the button and jacket so that the needle ends up on underside.
Yes, I just wrote out fairly common sense instructions, but with no idea how foreign sewing is to you, you might need them.
Addition: Upon re-reading, to be clear, when I say “between the button and jacket”, I mean on either side of the holes in the button. You do have to be able to sew it on, after all.
I always wind a few loops of thread around the space between button and jacket after button is sewn on and before I knot last stitch and cut thread. It gives the button a little wiggle room.
Gail is right. Look at the buttons that are still on and see if the maker did it this way. If not,
you probably ought to take all the buttons off and do it yourself. This is a stronger, more
elegant way to do it, because the “wiggle room” allows the two front halves of the jacket to move a little bit independently and not bind up in a foolish way.
If you don’t know zip about sewing, I’d do what peedub said right away
before the other buttons get lost.
Hmm. But that doesn’t address at least one issue. My jacket buttons have 3/4in loose thread on them because my jacket is super thick. So I will call it the “super thick” issue.
If the fabric is thick and hard to get the needle through a bar of soap or some bees wax will help. Just stab the bar of soap a few times when the needle starts to get stuck then it will go through a lot easier. Works great for sewing on Boy Scout patches too.
Usually, when a garment is well-made, the buttons will be sewn on before the lining is attached to the interior. That makes replacing buttons difficult.
Can you try to catch only some of the jacket fabric in the needle? Do you have older relatives or friends who sew and can give you a demonstration?
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