This reader-submitted tip was originally featured in Threads #192 (August/September 2017).

Now that nail polish comes in such a broad array of hues, I have collected many bottles, and I find them useful in the sewing room. Transparent and metallic snaps can be coated to better blend in with a fabric, as can hook-and-eye closures. Buttons can be refreshed with a coat of polish, and sometimes I can make a near-perfect match for a lost button this way. I find the closest match in size and shape, then I paint all the buttons the same color. The mismatched one looks nearly identical to the others. To paint them without removing them from the garment, punch a small hole in a piece of card, then cut from the edge to the hole, slide the card under the existing buttons, and “paint” without fear of marking the garment. I also use nail polish to color-code sewing machines and their corresponding bobbins, extra bobbin cases, and specialized machine needles.

-Liz Powell, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

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