Using Nail Polish for Security When Sewing Buttons

Whether you sew buttons onto projects using your machine or you do it by hand, there is still a need to secure any thread ends when you are done sewing buttons. Tara Rex shares a fun tip for how she likes to quickly and easily secure her thread ends.

Sewing Buttons

Tara shows that she typically likes to sew her buttons onto projects using her machine. After she is done sewing buttons there can be small thread tails that the machine can leave behind. Before clipping these short, Tara secures them using nail polish. As she puts it, most women may find that they have some clear nail polish laying around the house already. Tara shows how quick and easy it is to apply a small amount of the nail polish to the thread ends using the brush. Once the nail polish dries, the thread ends are secured.

Large Projects

Using nail polish when sewing buttons is a great tip to use on small projects with only a few buttons. For larger sewing projects, or those with lots of buttons, you may want to choose a product like a seam sealant. These products have a tendency to not dry as stiff as the nail polish. Also, these products can be applied in larger areas, where Tara recommends only applying the nail polish in small dots at the back of buttons. Since the nail polish can become hard when it dries, a good rule of thumb when applying it to the thread tails on the back of a button is to make sure the amount you apply on the back is smaller than the button itself. Seam sealant is also a good product to use when making the buttonhole as well. Unless you are making a bound buttonhole, the fabric on the inside of the buttonhole can tend to fray once it is cut open and a seam sealant can help eliminate that.