Sewing on a button

Sometimes it is only something very small that stops us from wearing our clothes. I was given this vintage dress last summer. It is too small for me so I am going to sell it on Vinted. I’d kept putting off listing the dress as it has a button is missing in a prominent place.

I hunted through my collection of buttons but I couldn’t find a good match. I’ve had a look in charity shops when passing but no luck for a match. If I was keeping the dress I would have mismatched the buttons and made a feature of the mend. But as I am selling this dress on, I want it to be in good condition for the next owner.

The dress nagged me every time I went into my wardrobe. I hung it on the front of my wardrobe to remind me to do something about it. A few days later it struck me that I could reposition the buttons. The buttons are only a feature and not functional. It wouldn’t notice if the top button wasn’t there.

Five minutes later, I had removed the top button and stitched it to the place where the missing button had been. Luckily the thread was still hanging in position marking the spot. I went over the other buttons with a couple of stitches to ensure they also didn’t get lost. A quick press and it is ready to list on Vinted.

Another good place to find a button is on the cuffs of shirts and jackets. Use the matching buttons for the more prominent place. Replace the button on the cuff with a different button. If the button holes are functioning then select a button that fits through the button hole. Especially a cuff where you need to unbutton to get your arm in and out.

50g of vintage buttons (mixed) available on our Etsy shop.

Or create a new look by choosing mix-matched buttons! Watch our video to learn how to sew on a button.