How do I sew on a hook and eye, a press stud or a snap fastener?

Three small fastenings that all fail the same way — sewn on with too few stitches and in the wrong place. How to position each one so it takes the strain properly.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 15 min
Read: 5 min

Short answer

Position the hook or the ball half first, on the overlapping side, set back a few millimetres from the edge so it cannot show. Fasten the garment and mark exactly where the other half must sit. Then sew each hole with four or five stitches through to a hidden layer only — never through to the right side — and finish by stitching over the neck of a hook so it cannot lift.

These fastenings are nearly always replacements — one has pulled off a waistband, a bra, a coat or a dress — and they nearly always pull off again because they were sewn on with two stitches per hole and positioned by eye. Both problems are easy to avoid.

What you'll need

A fine sharp needle
Strong thread matched to the garment, ideally a polyester
The correct size of fastening for the garment
Pins and tailor's chalk

Step by step

Choose the right size and type.Hooks and eyes come in sizes by number, with small ones for necklines and large flat ones for waistbands. There are two kinds of eye: a loop for edges that meet, and a straight bar for edges that overlap. Press studs come as sew-on or as hammered-in; sew-on is what to use on a garment you do not want to punch a hole through.
Fit the overlapping half first.On a waistband or a placket, put the hook or the ball half of the press stud on the piece that lies on top. Set it back 3 to 5mm from the edge so the fastening cannot peep out when done up.
Sew each hole with four or five stitches.Not two. Small fastenings carry a surprising load, and the failure is always a hole with too few stitches. Work several stitches through each hole, close together, keeping the tension even.
Sew through to an inner layer only.A waistband, a facing or a placket has two or more layers. Take the needle through the under layer and back, never through to the right side, so nothing shows on the outside. Where there is only one layer, catch just a thread or two of it.
Anchor the neck of a hook as well as its holes.A hook has two rings and a curved neck. Sewing only the rings lets the neck lift away from the fabric under load. Work several stitches across the neck, just behind the curve, to hold it flat. This is the step that stops hooks pulling off.
Mark the position of the second half with the garment fastened.Do up the hook or press one half against the other, lay the garment flat exactly as it will be worn, and push a pin through or mark with chalk through the hole. Positioning by measuring rarely works, because the two edges do not sit where you think they do.
Get the bar or eye position right for the overlap.If the two edges meet edge to edge, use a round eye set so it projects a fraction past the edge. If they overlap, use a straight bar and set it so the closed garment sits flat with no strain pulling the edges apart.
Fasten off under the fitting.Two small stitches under the fastening, then run the needle away inside the layers for a couple of centimetres before cutting. A knot on the surface will eventually work through.
Add a second hook where one keeps failing.A single hook at the top of a zip on a skirt takes the whole load of the waistband. Two hooks side by side, or a hook and a press stud together, share it and last far longer.

Tips

Buttonhole stitch worked round each ring of a hook is the traditional finish and is stronger and neater than plain overstitching, though ordinary stitches done densely are perfectly adequate.
On a bra, the hooks are on a specially woven tape and replacing the whole tape is often easier and more durable than resewing individual hooks.
Press studs come in different strengths. A stud that keeps popping open is too small for the load, not badly sewn.
Black and silver hooks exist for a reason. Match the colour to the garment and it disappears.

Common mistakes

Two stitches per hole — It is the standard failure. Four or five stitches per hole takes almost no extra time and multiplies the life of the fastening.
Not securing the neck of a hook — The rings hold but the curved neck lifts, so the hook stands proud, catches on things and eventually tears out. Stitching across the neck holds it flat.
Positioning the second half by measurement — The two edges of a fastened garment rarely sit where a measurement predicts, especially on a curved waistband. Fasten the garment, then mark.
Sewing right through to the right side — The stitches show as dots on the outside. There is almost always an inner layer to sew into instead.

If it doesn't work

The hook keeps pulling off

Cause: Too few stitches, and the neck unsecured — Fix: Resew with four or five stitches per ring plus several across the neck. If it still fails, the load is too high for one hook — add a second.

The fastening shows when the garment is done up

Cause: Set too close to the edge — Fix: Move it back 3 to 5mm from the edge and reposition the other half to match.

The waistband gapes even when fastened

Cause: The bar or eye is positioned so the closed garment is under tension — Fix: Refasten, lay flat, and re-mark the position with the garment sitting as it should rather than as it is.

The press stud pops open under strain

Cause: Stud too small for the load, or the two halves misaligned — Fix: Fit a larger stud, and mark the second half by pressing the halves together on the fastened garment rather than by measuring.

Questions people ask

Which half goes on which side?

The hook or the ball goes on the overlapping piece — the one on top — set back from the edge. The eye, bar or socket goes on the under piece, positioned by fastening the garment and marking through.

Round eye or straight bar?

A round eye where the two edges meet edge to edge, so the eye can project slightly past the edge. A straight bar where one edge overlaps the other.

Can I replace a hook and eye with a press stud?

Often yes, on a light load. A press stud is easier to do up one-handed. It is weaker under lateral strain than a hook, so it is not a good swap at the top of a fitted waistband.