Sew On a Button
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What you will learn
- 1Name the sewing tools and what each one does
- 2Thread a needle and knot the end of the thread
- 3Sew a button on with stitches through its holes
- 4Keep needles safe in a pin cushion
Mini Lesson
Has a button ever fallen off your shirt or coat? You do not need to throw it away. You can sew the button back on by hand! Sewing uses a needle, which is small and sharp. So you always sew with a grown-up next to you. Go slowly, and you will fix it like a pro.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- GET the tools: a needle with a big eye, thread, a needle threader, the button, and a pin cushion.
- CUT the thread: a grown-up cuts a piece about as long as your arm.
- THREAD and KNOT: push the thread through the eye of the needle, then tie a knot at the end.
- SEW: push the needle up through the fabric and one hole, then down through the other hole.
- REPEAT and COUNT: sew up and down several times. Count your stitches out loud.
- FINISH: wrap the thread under the button a few times, knot it at the back, and a grown-up trims the thread.
📍 Needle Safety
- KEEP needles in a pin cushion - never in your mouth or stuck in your clothes.
- SEW slowly and keep your fingers out of the needle’s path.
- DROPPED a needle? Stop and pick it up right away with a grown-up’s help.
A grown-up is with you the whole time you sew. Needles are sharp, so go slowly and keep your fingers clear. A grown-up handles the scissors and trims the thread.
Words to know
needle
A thin, sharp tool with a hole at one end for the thread.
e.g. Push the needle up through the fabric.
eye
The little hole at the end of a needle.
e.g. The thread goes through the eye.
thread
A long, thin string used for sewing.
e.g. Pick a thread the same color as the shirt.
stitch
One loop of thread that goes into the fabric and back out.
e.g. I sewed six stitches.
needle threader
A small tool that helps pull thread through the eye of a needle.
e.g. The needle threader made it easy.
pin cushion
A soft pad to stick needles and pins in so they stay safe.
e.g. Put the needle back in the pin cushion.
💡 Handy Tip: lay a toothpick across the top of the button and sew over it. When you finish, slide the toothpick out. The little bit of loose thread lets the button fit through its buttonhole.
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