How To Thread a Needle and Tie a Knot

If you are not a sewer yet or craft-minded, threading a needle properly may not be something that has crossed your mind before. Whether you are just starting out sewing or it's a time in your life when you find yourself in a situation needing to sew something, such as re-attaching a button, fixing a hem, mending a hole, now is the time to get ready to thread the needle and tie the knot before you embark on your sewing odyssey.

Step 1  

Cut a length of thread no longer than 36 inches (91 cm); any longer and it will get tangled as you sew. Insert the thread through the eye of the needle.

Step 2  

Pull several inches of the thread through the eye of the needle. This will help keep the needle from becoming un-threaded as you work.

Step 3  

Hold the last 1.5 inches / 3.8 cm of your thread perpendicular to your needle.

Step 4  

Wind the thread around the needle twice.

Step 5  

Pull the wound thread down the needle towards the eye.

Step 6  

Continue to pull the wound thread down the length of the thread.

Step 7  

When it reaches the end, tighten it into a knot.

Knot Tying Method Number Two

1. Hold the thread between your thumb and forefinger. 
2. Wrap the thread around your finger, crossing it over itself.  
3. Slide your finger and thumb against each other, rolling the thread.  
4. Transfer pinch from index finger to middle finger.  
5. Gently slide knot toward end of thread. 
6. Finished knot.  

Tips

• Make sure you cut your thread with sharp scissors; this will make a neat end for inserting into the eye.
• Licking the tip of your thread may help keep it together and make it stiffer and easier to insert into the eye.
• Tying your knot as described above will ensure that the knot is big enough not to pull through your work and will help you control how close to the end it is.
• If you need to make your knot larger, repeat steps 3-7, making sure the knot you have made is in the middle of the two wraps.
• The knot may seem complex at first, but after a few tries, it becomes easier.
• Not everyone chooses to tie a knot in their thread. An alternative method is to repeat the first stitch several times through the same holes (that is, to "tack" it).
• Other people prefer to use a loop instead. This is done by tying a simple knot (the first knot used while tying your shoes...), sewing a single stitch but not pulling it through fully, and passing the needle through the loop between knot and fabric.

Warnings

• Take care when using sharp needles and keep away from small children and pets.

Things You'll Need

• A needle
• Some thread
• A pair of needlework scissors (preferably sharp)