How to Sew a Button on a Leather Jacket (Step-by-Step Guide)

A loose or missing button is one of the most common leather repairs, and one of the easiest to do at home. Learning to sew a button on a leather jacket properly takes about fifteen minutes, and the method below keeps the button secure without tearing or stretching the leather around it.

What you need to sew a button on a leather jacket

• The button. Use the original if you still have it. Check the pockets and the lining, and look for a spare that may have come stitched to the care label or in a small envelope.
• Strong thread. Polyester or nylon upholstery thread, or waxed thread, in a color that matches the other buttons. Light all-purpose thread wears through quickly under the weight of a heavy coat button.
• A regular sharp hand-sewing needle that slips through the existing holes without forcing.
• A glover's needle, only if you must make a new hole. Its triangular point cuts leather, which is exactly why it shouldn't go anywhere near holes you want to keep small.
• A small backing button, flat and plain, or a small scrap of thin leather or felt to sit on the inside.
• A toothpick or matchstick to space the button away from the leather.
• A thimble, because pushing a needle through two layers of leather is hard on fingertips.
• Small scissors and, if you like, a little beeswax to help the thread glide and resist tangling.

Before you start: check the old holes

Look closely at where the button used to sit. In most cases the thread simply wore through and the original holes are still clean and round. Reuse them. They're already lined up with the buttonhole, and every new hole you make in leather is permanent.

Most front buttons pass through the outer leather and the facing behind it, the strip of leather folded inside along the front edge. You can usually reach the back of that area without opening the lining. If the lining covers it completely, the repair is better left to a professional.

Finally, notice how thick the leather is around the buttonhole. Your thread shank should be roughly that height, so the button sits flat when fastened instead of pulling the front out of shape.

How to reattach a button to leather, step by step

1. Thread the needle. Cut about 24 inches of thread, double it and knot the ends together. Run it over beeswax if you have some.
2. Start inside. Push the needle through one hole of the backing button, then through one of the original holes from the inside out, so the knot rests behind the backing button.
3. Add the spacer. Bring the needle up through one hole of the front button, lay a toothpick across its top, then stitch over the toothpick and back down through the opposite hole, the leather and the backing button.
4. Repeat. Make four to six passes through each pair of holes. On a four-hole button, copy the pattern of the other buttons, either two parallel bars or a cross.
5. Form the shank. Slide out the toothpick, lift the button to the top of the slack, and wind the thread tightly around the stitches beneath it six to eight times.
6. Finish inside. Take the needle back through to the inside. Make a few small stitches through the threads behind the backing button, knot twice, trim, and add a tiny dab of seam sealant or clear nail polish to the knot only, not the leather.
7. Test it. Fasten the button. It should sit flat without straining the buttonhole.

If your button has its own metal or plastic loop on the back, it already has a shank. Skip the toothpick, sew through the loop, and still use a backing button inside.

Why the thread shank and backing button matter

Leather is thicker than most fabrics, so a button sewn flat has no room to close over it. The buttonhole drags, the front puckers, and the thread slowly saws through the leather. The shank gives the buttonhole somewhere to sit.

The backing button spreads the pull from every fastening across a wider area, so the strain lands on a button instead of a few small holes in the hide. Many tailored coats use one on their main front buttons for exactly this reason.

These button-front styles are where this repair comes up most often:

Men's Black Leather Two-Button BlazerMen's Black Leather Double-Breasted Pea CoatMen's Black Leather Three-Button Car Coat

What not to do

• Don't glue the button. Glue stiffens and stains leather, fails under repeated tugging, and makes a proper repair harder later.
• Don't punch new or bigger holes. Holes in leather never close up, and holes set too close together can tear into a single slit.
• Don't push a glover's needle through the old holes. Its cutting point enlarges them with every pass.
• Don't pull the stitches tight. A button sewn hard against the leather is what causes most of the damage in the first place.

What if the leather around the button is torn?

If the old holes have stretched into a slit, or the leather has ripped around them, sewing straight back in will only split the leather more along the same line. The fix is a reinforcement patch on the inside: a piece of thin leather or sturdy twill placed behind the damaged area, with the button sewn through both layers using fresh holes set slightly away from the tear.

That repair calls for a glover's needle and a steady hand. For anything larger than a small split, our guide to repairing a torn leather jacket explains the options, and a leather repair shop can usually make the patch invisible from the outside.

When should you see a tailor or leather repair shop?

• The tear runs into the buttonhole or the front edge.
• The back of the button area sits behind a lining you can't reach.
• The buttonhole itself is fraying or stretched.
• The fastening is a snap, not a sewn button. Snaps are set with a press, and our guide to fixing a snap on a leather jacket covers that job.

A leather tailor can also move buttons if the fit has changed. Here's what a leather tailor can and can't alter.

Matching a replacement button

If the original is lost, take a remaining button with you when you shop. Match the diameter, the number of holes, shank or flat style, and finish. If no exact match turns up, consider replacing the full set on the front so they look uniform; sleeve buttons are often smaller and can stay as they are.

Double-breasted coats often have an inside anchor button that holds the underlap in place. Our leather pea coat guide shows how that layout works, so check the inside button while you have the needle out.

Once a season, give every button a gentle tug. A loose button is a quick fix; a lost one means hunting for a match.

FAQ

What is the best thread for leather jacket buttons?

Polyester or nylon upholstery thread, or waxed thread. All are strong enough to hold a heavy button through daily wear, and waxed thread is easy to grip and knot.

Can I glue a button onto a leather jacket?

No. Glue won't hold under the pull of fastening, it can stain or harden the leather, and it makes a later sewn repair more difficult.

Do I need a special leather needle?

Only if you're making new holes. To reuse the original holes, a regular sharp needle that fits through them is the better choice, because a leather needle's cutting point will widen them.

How tight should the button be?

Not tight at all. Leave a thread shank about as tall as the leather around the buttonhole is thick, so the button closes flat without straining.

With the right thread, the original holes and a proper shank, it's easy to sew a button on a leather jacket so it lasts for years. If you're shopping for a button-front style, browse our men's leather coats.