Sewing on a button is a small five-minute fix if you know how to do it, but so many people in today's world haven't been taught the simple task. It just takes a needle, some thread and a little "Know-how" and  you can replace that button and get another year or two out of your favorite pants or shirt. Mend your clothes, and you’ll keep them out of the landfill and in your closet. Resist fast fashion and the culture of disposable everything, and you’ll save both your money and the planet.  Also, research suggests a connection between doing stuff with our hands and feeling happy. When we perform activities that our brains think of as life-sustaining—providing shelter, making food, repairing clothing—our bodies release neurochemicals called dopamine and serotonin, which make us feel good. As neuroscientist Kelly Lambert puts it, “Our brains have been hardwired for this type of meaningful action since our ancestors were dressed in pelts.” And if anyone needs a little mental reward, it’s our kids." 

The Todd County 4-H Agent taught more than 350 4-H'ers how to sew on a button through 4-H school clubs this spring through a "following directions' lesson.  The 4-H agent led discussion on the importance of following directions and the steps involved.  Then, with a hands on, interactive team activity, the agent and 4-H teen assistants led the youth through a 15 minute "How to Sew on a Button" demonstration. Each 4-H'er practiced stitching, tying knots, cutting and basting on a piece of felt to get the end of product of a button sewed onto the simple cloth.  Fifteen 4-H clubs participated in the button sewing activity in the county ranging from 4th graders up to 12th graders. 

Results of the sewing lesson were collected through an end of meeting questionnaire: 

98% said it was his/her first time to ever sew on a button. 

100% said he/she believed he/she could now sew on a button at home, if needed. 

A one month follow up with the elementary school teachers identified that 40% had gone home and sewn a button on a piece of clothing at home. This translates to a small savings for those families of those clothes that would have become unusable or disposed of due to damage, but were fixed and still usable.  A good life lesson for a generation used to throwing so much away.