Now that you’ve learned to sew a flat button, we thought to teach you to tackle the shank button. Shank buttons are so named because they have a raised area at their underside, known as a shank. They’re also usually more decorative than their flat counterparts – you can buy them with delicate embossed designs or even encrusted with rhinestones – so these are the buttons to use when you’d like to add subtle interest to your apparel.

1. Thread a needle with double thread, knotting the ends together.

2a. Insert your needle from the underside of the fabric, and sew a small x, using two stitches, where you intend to fasten your button. Repeat once or twice more.

2b. This step is optional. Place a smaller, flat button on the underside of the fabric, and sew. This will serve to support your shank button.

3. Now, place the shank button, and pass the needle from underneath the garment through the button’s shank. Don’t sew too tight; you’ll want to leave some space between the fabric and your button. Repeat this process about six times.

4. Wind your thread tightly around the thread column that you’ve created underneath the button’s shank.5. Pass your needle through the middle of the column, leaving a small loop, and thread back through that loop to secure. Repeat once more, and you’ve finished sewing your shank button. Bring your needle underneath the fabric, and, finally, snip the remaining thread. 

Image credit: The Peacock Box Blog