How to Make a Shank on a Button

Flat buttons can make it difficult to close a heavier piece of clothing without a shank.

When replacing the buttons on a heavier piece of clothing, such as a winter coat or even a flannel shirt, the fabric may make it necessary to add additional room between it and the button. A lack of space can cause the clothing to bunch up when closed, creating unsightly gathers in the material. To fix this problem, you can make a shank on a button to increase the amount of space between the back of the button and the fabric, giving everything more room to lie as it should. 

Instructions

1. • 1
     Pinpoint the exact location on the fabric that you wish to place your button, and use the button as a guide to mark the holes with tailor's chalk.
   • 2
     Thread a needle with the appropriate type of thread for the fabric and the button, tying a knot at the end. Push the needle through the back of the fabric to the front, into one of the holes you marked, until the knot at the end of the thread hits the cloth.
   • 3
     Slide the needle through one of the holes in the button, with the finished side of the button facing upward. Push the button down to the fabric, and slide the needle down into the opposite hole in the button and through the fabric. But do not pull the thread taut. Instead, keep the button slightly separated from the fabric -- by about the width of two needles.
   • 4
     Push the needle back up through the fabric and the first button hole again, and then slide it back down through the other hole and into the fabric again, making sure there is still two needles’ distance between the back of the button and the fabric.
   • 5
     Stick the needle through the back of the fabric again but without going through the button hole this time -- instead extending it underneath the button. Pull the thread through until there is no more give, and then wrap the thread around the threads attached at base of the button eight to ten times. This will create a shank on the button, permanently retaining the space that you kept when sewing it in place.
   • 6
     Bring the needle back through the fabric and tie the thread off in the cloth. To do this, slide the needle through one of the stitches on the back, without going through the fabric, and create a knot with the loop it creates. Repeat this process until the knot, and therefore the button with the shank, is secure.