Learn how to sew buttons, snaps, and hooks correctly on the first try with this demonstration by garment sewing expert Judith Neukam.

Choosing the right needle and thread will ensure success. Judith reviews options for both and explains how to decide.

Judith then walks through how to thread the needle, knot the thread, and attach the button. She  includes instructions for sewing on a shank button and how to create a shank when sewing buttons with holes on coats and other garments made of thick fabric. She even shows a smart way to attach a row of closely set buttons, as on the back of a wedding gown.

Sewing on less visible snaps or hooks and eyes, requires similar skills. Judith shows how. In addition, she shares her marking technique for a snap’s second side once the first side is sewn in place.

This detailed tutorial is one episode in the comprehensive Teach Yourself to Sew series.

Teach Yourself to Sew

Judith, the series host, got her first taste of sewing when she took the free lessons that came with her mother’s sewing machine purchase. Judith was 9 at the time. Soon after, she was sewing her own clothes and feeding her passion for the craft. In her Teach Yourself to Sew series, Judith shares her enduring love of sewing and her invaluable years of sewing experience.

Getting started

She starts with discussing the equipment and the essential sewing notions for anyone who sews. You’ll learn about shopping for fabrics, choosing patterns (including selecting the correct size), and planning the perfect pattern layout. From machine-sewing simple seams to inserting zippers and stitching buttonholes, Judith demonstrates the key steps to making a custom garment.

Discover methods for clean-finishing seam allowances and applying facings so all edges are neat. To…