Let’s be honest with ourselves, there’s nothing worse than realizing your shirt or blouse is missing a button.
Whether it popped off randomly and you have seemingly lost it, or you know exactly where it is, I’m going to show you some ways of fixing this embarrassing clothing problem.
We don’t always have a sewing kit handy, and maybe we don’t yet have the necessary skills to sew a button back on, so we’ll evaluate some of the bet non-sewing alternatives in this article.
So how do you reattach a button without sewing? In short, there are a couple of solutions that could work well for you, but one of the best—and easiest—is to grab the nearest twist tie and secure the button back onto the buttonless garment of clothing.
It’s always useful to know how to make quick fixes without the need for a sewing kit, whether you can indeed sew or not. Let’s say you lose a shirt button on the way to an important work meeting, you’re going to want to know how to fix it, at least temporarily.
Since you won’t always have access to the missing button, we’re also going to dive into some clever little fixes which involve some items that you should have handy at all times. That way, you’ll never need to panic should you lose a button out of the blue.
How To Reattach A Button Without Sewing
Without further ado, let’s breakdown some of the ways you can reattach a button without sewing, and without breaking a sweat.
You can reattach a button without sewing by using:
- a twist tie,
- a paper clip,
- a tic button fastener,
- or clear tape.
Use A Twist Tie
This first fix is as easy as it is genius. All you’ll need is access to a loaf of bread which has a twist tie, or maybe you have one handy from your stash.
Whatever the case, take the twist tie and, as if you were tying some shoelaces, feed the wire through the underside and back down the hole opposite.
An unbelievably simple way to fix a potentially embarrassing problem in no time, the twist tie solution will make you want to carry one around with you wherever you go.
Use A Paper Clip
Next up, and perhaps more convenient, we have the paper clip fix. More convenient because more of us probably have ready access to a paper clip, at home or at work.
For this one, all you’ll need to do is dig through your stationery until you find a small paperclip, ideally the same color as the button,
Similar to the twist tie fix, you’re going to need to thread the wire through the holes.
However, the paper clip approach is slightly different. First, you’ll have to bend the paper clip into the shape of the letter ‘U’.
Then, as if it were a staple, thread it through the holes and bend the wire back down on itself to secure the button in place.
Use A Tic Button Fastener
A solution that requires you to spend some money, but will save you a lot of effort in the long-run, this button fastener by Tic does the job great.
Providing a neat-looking solution that will look indistinguishable from the thread and needle fix, this button fastener could be just the gadget you need in your life to save future button-related embarrassment.
All you have to do is line up the prongs of the stapler-like device and press it in to release plastic rivets which will hold any button in place.
Use Clear Tape
It goes without saying that this is intended as a temporary fix, but it works nevertheless.
If you have access to some clear tape, you can attach the button to the shirt—or whatever the item of clothing—relatively easily.
This is more of an emergency solution though, despite the fact that the tape is clear, you will probably be able to notice it up close. So use this method sparingly, and when there is no other alternative.
Alternative Fixes
Now that we’ve covered the more conventional solutions with regards to reattaching a button. Let’s take a look at some of the more unusual, yet no less brilliant, fixes that’ll have your friends telling you how crafty you are.
Sometimes we’re out and about and before we know it we’re buttonless and there’s no sign of the missing button. As a result, we’re going to need to use our improvisational skills to come up with a solution.
Use A Key Ring
Ok, so you’ve looked down and realized in horror that your pants are now buttonless, and struggling to stay up around your waist.
This is an embarrassing issue, to say the least. With that being said, what can we do to prevent unwanted looks and judgment? Fear not, as the key holds the answers. As cryptic as that sounds, the key does actually hold the solution.
If you have your house or car keys with you, which I imagine you do if you’re outside the house, then all you need to do is use your key-ring to thread through the hole where the button was before.
Maybe not the most stylish solution ever, but chances are nobody will notice and you will be able to make it home successfully avoid any major embarrassment.
Use A Coin
If you’re anything like me, then chances are you will have a large amount of small change lying around the house or in a piggy bank-like container. This fix will make you feel like all that time spent hoarding this small change will finally reap dividends.
Even if you’re out on the go, and have some coins in your wallet or purse, you can pull this one off. Though, it may prove more difficult as you’ll need access to some fabric cloth and some thread.
While this is an article about the non-sewing solutions to reattach a button, you won’t be able to do this fix unless you have some thread or something similar around.
So how do you use a coin in place of your jean button? First, you’ll need a coin that’s big enough for the job, preferably one similar in size to the original button.
Here’s what you’ll do after that:
- Take the cloth or fabric, if you’re feeling fancy, you can use special patterned fabric for this and wrap it around your coin. Twist the fabric around the coin to create a short tail, you’ll need this to attach the coin later.
- Next, use your thread to wrap around the fabric and secure the coin in place. Once you’ve done this, you can cut off most of the fabric with a pair of scissors, leaving just the coin wrapped in fabric and the short tail.
- Take your jeans and feed the short tail of the fabric through the missing button hole on the outside going in.
- Grab some more thread and wrap it around the short tail, which should be protruding from the inside of the jeans. Then cut off the excess thread when you’ve done that.
Now you’re ready to go out into the world looking a million dollars, or at least a few cents!
