I threw away a pair of jeans because a button fell off. Not because they were worn out — the denim was fine, the color was good, they fit perfectly. A single button popped off the waistband and I put them in the donation pile because I did not know how to sew a button back on. It takes about two minutes. I learned that two years and probably two hundred dollars in replaced clothes too late.

Most clothing damage is shockingly easy to repair. You do not need a sewing machine, you do not need to be crafty, and you do not need more than about ten dollars in basic supplies. Here are the four repairs that cover ninety percent of what goes wrong with clothes.

1. Sew a Button (2 Minutes)

You need: a needle, thread that matches the garment, and the button. Thread the needle, tie a knot at the end of the doubled thread. Push the needle up through the fabric from the underside where the button was, through one hole of the button, down through the opposite hole. Repeat four or five times through each pair of holes. On the last pass, wrap the thread around the threads under the button three times — this creates a shank that keeps the button from pulling too tight against the fabric. Push the needle to the underside, tie a knot, cut.

That is it. Two minutes. I timed myself. The first time took five minutes because I kept tangling the thread. The second time took two.

2. Fix a Small Tear or Hole (3 Minutes)

For tears along a seam: turn the garment inside out, pinch the tear closed, and sew along the original seam line with small stitches. The repair is invisible from the outside because it follows the seam.

For holes in the fabric itself: iron-on patches work on denim, canvas, and heavier cottons. Cut the patch slightly larger than the hole, round the corners so they do not peel up, iron it on following the package directions. For knit fabrics like t-shirts, use a product called stitch witchery — a fusible bonding web that goes between the fabric layers and melts with an iron. It is not as strong as sewing but it is invisible and takes thirty seconds.

3. Fix a Stuck Zipper (30 Seconds)

Rub a graphite pencil along both sides of the zipper teeth. Graphite is a dry lubricant. Run the zipper up and down a few times and it usually frees up. For metal zippers, a drop of bar soap or a candle rubbed on the teeth works too. If the slider itself is the problem and the zipper keeps separating after you zip it, pinch the slider slightly with pliers to tighten it — a tiny squeeze, test, repeat. Too much and the slider breaks.

4. Remove Pilling from Sweaters (5 Minutes)

A fabric shaver — a small handheld device that costs about twelve dollars — shaves the pills off sweaters and fleece without damaging the fabric. It is oddly satisfying to use. Run it over the pilled areas and the sweater looks almost new. For delicate knits like cashmere, use a fine-tooth sweater comb instead, which is gentler.

I still wear the jeans with the replaced button. They are my favorite pair. The button cost about fifty cents. The sewing kit was four dollars. The fact that I almost threw them away still embarrasses me.