Make your own flat fabric cording to coordinate with your sewing project, or replace a boring cording on your ready-to-wear clothing. This is a simple project that can make a big impact on your finished item.
How to Make Flat Drawstring Cording
Learning how to make your own flat drawstring cord will come in handy when you 1) don't have what you need in your sewing room and/or 2) you want to add some interest to your sewing project that requires cording.
You can use flat fabric drawstring cording in place of narrow ribbon, round cording, satin cording, or other items that are used as ties or drawstrings.
Materials
- Fabric scraps
- Thread
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
- Quilters ruler
Instructions
- First you need to determine how much fabric you will need. Calculate how much cording you need. If you are replacing cording in an existing garment or accessory, you can just measure it. If it is a new project, most patterns will tell you how much you need.
Then, determine the finished width of your drawstring cord. If you want a 1/4" flat drawstring cord, cut 1" strips from your fabric. Always cut your fabric four-times the final width.
Press your fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together. This will form a nice line for us to make our next press.
- Then, fold each of the outside edges into the pressed line in the middle, and press again.
- Next, fold so that the two outside folded edges meet. Make sure to have the edges line up perfectly, then press. This is what makes the drawstring cord flat.
- Last step, go to your sewing machine and stitch the two folded edges together right along the edge. I like to use my edgestitch foot and move the needle 2-3 positions to the left. This makes a nice even stitch along the edge. You now have finished flat drawstring cord to use as you'd like! See how easy that was?
- I used it to make this Lotus-style Kinchaku bag.
Notes
NOTE: Best to use lighter weight fabrics like quilting cottons to make this cording. Heavier fabric will be hard to sew through all of those layers and will make the cording very bulky.
NOTE: Always make your cording a little on the narrower side, rather than the wider side. Then it will be easier to thread into your casings.
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NOTE: When threading your cording into a casing, it is much easier to use a bodkin. If you don't have a bodkin, place a safety pin at the end to help guide the cording through the casing.
Recommended Products
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Flat fabric cording can be used for so many great projects! By making your own, you can make it any color or use any fabric for a great pattern or design!
- Since you can make this any width, it is terrific to create handles for bags or totes. The four layers of fabric make it durable and strong.
- Use this for a drawstring waist on pants or a skirt.
- Embellish home decor projects by sewing it down in patterns or designs. Example, lay out strips in different diagonal directions to make a throw pillow cover. Learn how to make a basic throw pillow cover in our article.
- Make a custom lanyard for your ID badge using fabric you love. For the sports fan in your life, make them one with their teams fabric. Celebrate each holiday with a new festive lanyard. If you have to wear it everyday at work, you might as well have some fun!
- Use scraps of fabric to sew together to make long strips that can be used as gift wrap ties.
Browse through all of our sewing projects on Create Whimsy.
Check out the Lotus-style Kinchaku drawstring bag that uses a flat drawstring cord.
