Looking for a great project using fabric scraps? Make some fabric twine or fabric rope! I always seem to have small strips of fabric from straightening an edge for cutting fabric for quilt strips or blocks. I don’t like tossing them out and I care about my fabric footprint. There must be a good project for them! Hello to fabric string!

Fabric scrap twine is super easy to make and a great way to use scraps of fabric. All you need are strips of fabric, a pair of scissors, and a Wonder clip or binder clip.

Let’s get started making a rope from strips of fabric!

Fabric Twine

How to Make Fabric Twine from Scraps

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Learn how to make fabric twine from strips of fabric scraps from your sewing projects with our step-by-step instructions.

This is a fun project that you can do while watching TV and makes a good use of leftovers.

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Materials

Strips of scrap fabrics

Tools

Scissors
Wonder clip or Binder clip

Instructions

Start with two strips of scrap fabric. I like to use strips that are wider than 1/2-inch and less than 1-inch. The strips don't need to be straight or clean. Raveled edges make for an interesting texture to your rope. I like to have the strip lengths between 12 and 18 inches. Longer strips are difficult to work with. Here are the two strips that I'll start with for the tutorial.
Tie a knot to secure the two strips of fabric.
Take one of the fabrics and twist it 3-4 times away from you.
Then, bring that piece of fabric over the second fabric. Hold the twists in place with your fingers.
Next, twist the second fabric 3-5 times.
And, then bring it towards you over the first fabric, all while maintaining the twists.
Continue twisting 3-4 times and then bring one fabric over the other.
When you get close to the end of the fabric strips, use your clip to hold the twists in place.
There are many ways to add a strip. You can sew by hand or by machine. My preferred method uses a slip knot. To do this, cut a slit in the strip where you will be adding a strip, and a slit in one end of the fabric you are adding.
Thread the new piece of fabric through the slit in the strip that is twisted.
Take the other end of the new strip of fabric and pull it through the slit on the other end of the strip.
Pull gently and the new strip is added to the fabric that is already twisted.
Continue to twist each piece and wrap them around each other until your fabric twine is your desired length.

Notes

Fabric strips should be 1/2-inch to 1-inch wide and 12-inches to 18-inches long. Wider strips are more difficult to twist. Longer strips tangle as you twist them.
Make sure to use strips of different lengths so your joins are at different places on your finished twine.

What fabrics are good for making fabric string?

Lightweight fabric scraps from quilting cottons or most light weight garment fabrics, like linen or t-shirt scraps, are perfect for making string. I’d avoid heavy fabrics like upholstery fabrics or wool – they would be difficult to twist.

I like to use different fabrics to add more interest to the finished rope.

What are other options for making rope from fabric?

If you aren’t into loose threads and uneven rope, some people like to cut their fabrics in long strips with a rotary cutter making them all the same width with clean edges.

Making the rope near your sewing machine? You can sew the strips together with a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch.

Looking for rope in a specific color(s)? Easy! Pull the colors you want from your fabric stash and cut or tear the strips of fabric for your scrap fabric twine.