How to Repair or Replace Clothing Closures
No matter how chic your outfit may be, outdated or damaged closures are never in style. To ensure your garment is best-dressed, simply change the closure. Try swapping a standard zipper for buttons and loops or hook and eyes, or change a buttonhole into a frog closure as shown here. A new, unexpected closure will give your garment a stylish, updated look that will keep you wearing it for years to come.
- Cut the button off the garment and use a seam ripper to remove the stitches around the buttonhole.
- To stabilize the fabric at the hole, cut a piece of fusible interfacing that is ½” (1.3 cm) larger than the buttonhole on all sides.
- With wrong sides together, secure the interfacing to the fabric at the hole by pressing and holding an iron over it for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Pin the frog closure in place, covering the buttonhole with one side and the button placement with the other side.
- Handsew the frog closure to the garment using a pick stitch.
- Tie a knot on the wrong side of the fabric and trim the thread ends.
Tip
When choosing a new closure, take the weight of the fabric into consideration, and also evaluate how quickly or frequently the closure will be used.
