How to sew a loose button back on a kurta

What you need

Choose thread close to the button colour, or to the fabric if the button is see-through. All-purpose polyester thread is strong enough for most kurtas; a heavier button thread suits buttons that take strain, such as the top of a placket.

• A hand-sewing needle small enough to pass through the button holes
• About an arm’s length of thread, doubled and knotted at the end
• A pin, cocktail stick or matchstick to act as a spacer
• Small scissors, and a pin to mark the position

Sewing a flat button with two or four holes

Find where the button belongs by looking for the old thread holes, or by closing the placket and pushing a pin through the centre of the buttonhole into the fabric below. The spacer is the step people skip, and it matters: a button sewn tight against the cloth leaves no room for the fabric of the buttonhole, so it pulls, puckers and works loose again.

• Anchor the thread. From the inside, take two tiny stitches on the spot so the knot cannot pull through.
• Set the spacer. Bring the needle up through one hole, lay the matchstick across the top of the button, and stitch over it down through the next hole.
• Repeat. Make five or six passes through each pair of holes. On a four-hole button you can cross the stitches or sew two parallel bars; match the other buttons on the kurta.
• Make the stem. Remove the spacer, lift the button to the top of its slack, bring the needle out between the button and the fabric, and wind the thread round the stitches several times.
• Fasten off. Push the needle to the inside and take three small stitches through the thread already there, then trim.

Shank and fabric-covered buttons

A shank button has a loop on its back, so it already stands away from the fabric and needs no spacer. Sew through the loop several times, keeping the stitches in line with the buttonhole so the button does not twist sideways when fastened.

Fabric-covered buttons, the small round potli or kapra buttons often used on kurta plackets and cuffs, usually have a soft shank of thread or a metal loop underneath. Sew them the same way with fine thread, and do not pull hard: on lawn and voile a tight stitch gathers the cloth. If the covering itself has come loose, a dab of fabric glue inside the edge can hold it, but test the glue on a scrap first. Our article on kurta plackets and buttons explains the different fastenings and where each is used.

On fine or sheer fabric, add strength by stitching through a small square of cotton or a tiny flat button on the inside at the same time, so the strain is spread instead of tearing the cloth.

Sewing on a hook and eye

Hooks and eyes often close the top of a neckline or a back opening. The hook goes on the inside of the side that overlaps, set just back from the edge, and the eye or bar goes on the other side so the two meet without a gap. Stitch over each loop several times with small stitches close together, then add two stitches across the neck of the hook to hold it flat. Catch only the facing or lining with each stitch, so nothing shows on the right side.

When a repair is not enough

If the fabric around a button has torn, or buttons keep coming off at the same strained point, the kurta may be too tight across the bust or neck. Our guide to making suits last longer covers other small repairs worth doing early. For a new piece cut to your own measurements, with the opening and fastening you prefer described in the notes, see custom stitching or start a quote with your design; a band collar is one style where button placement makes a visible difference.