Piping is a decorative element for both clothing and home dec projects. You can buy ready-to-use piping but what if you can’t find exactly the right color or size you are looking for your project? Here is step-by-step on how to make custom piping.
By making your own piping, you can make different sizes from very small as an accent on a garment seam, to big and round to use on pillows or upholstery projects. It is recommended to cut your fabric that you’ll be covering the cording with on the bias so that it is easier to ease around edges. If you are only sewing the piping along a straight edge, go ahead and cut on the straight of grain.
What is cutting on the bias?
Bias cut fabric is cut at a 45 degree angle from the straight of grain. Cutting on the bias has several benefits. Bias cut fabric has a little give and stretch to it making it perfect to go around curves and shapes. Also, since the threads in the fabric are woven together, it has a tendency to not ravel. Read more about cutting bias strips.
In order to make your own custom piping for your project, you need some cording and fabric strips cut on the bias. This is piping I used for a seat cushion cover and an ottoman cover.
How to Make Piping
Make your own custom bias piping that can be used for home dec projects or trimming garments. Using fabric cut on the bias makes it easier for smooth curved edges.
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In this tutorial, I'm making big piping for a home dec project, use smaller cording for smaller piping for garments and accessories.
Once you make your own piping, you'll never buy expensive store bought piping again! You can get exactly what you want, and it is super easy to make piping. Here is our step-by-step tutorial with photos how to make piping.
Materials
- 1 yard fabric for the piping
- 4 yards cording to be covered
- Coordinating thread
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Iron and ironing board
Instructions
- For this fatter piping, start with 3/8″ cording and fabric cut in 3″ strips on the bias. Read our article on how to cut bias strips.
- Trim off the selvedges, but leave the ends at a 90 degree angle. This is important so that the seam doesn’t add too much bulk in the piping.
- Lay the right sides together so that the 90 degree angles line up on the fabric strips. I find it is easier to do this first, so that I sew the seam correctly.
- Here is another view of lining up the edges to sew one long strip of fabric. Then flip them so that right sides are together to sew the strips together to make a longer strip for your bias piping. See how it looks differently? Your side edges don’t match, but the 90 degree angle seam edges match.
- Press the seam open.
- Take your bias strip to your sewing machine, and lay the cording in the center of the wrong side of the strip.
- Fold the fabric around the cording, making sure the raw edges match. Put the zipper foot on your sewing machine, and move your needle to the left position. Sew along the edge of the cording, through both layer of fabric, keeping the foot snug against the edge of the cording inside the fabric.
- Here is a close-up to show how snug I sewed to the cording.
- BAM! About 4 yards of custom binding in only about 30 minutes! Easy to make in any fabric you’d like!
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