Thursday Tip // Making a drawstring

Adding a drawstring is a simple way to quickly elevate a pair of shorts, pants or a dress if you want a more ready-to-wear (RTW) look and it gives you the opportunity to get creative with the style of ties or make a statement with a contrasting fabric.

The simplest way to make a drawstring is to cut a long strip of fabric and fold it in half lengthwise with right sides together (RST). Then stitch the length of the strip to make a long, narrow tube and turn the tube right side out. Although this may be the simplest way, if you are like me, I find turning a long, narrow tube to be very fiddly and quite time consuming depending on the length of the strip. The method described below is a different approach with a few extra steps but if you want a strong, stable drawstring, this method might just be the one you are looking for. As always, the choice is yours!

For this pair of shorts (made with our Yarn Dyed Antique Linen in Blush) I was able to cut my drawstring out of one continuous strip on grain because of how my leftover fabric worked out. If you have less fabric you could use a cutting method similar to this one by Closet Core Patterns and cut your drawstring piece on the bias. If cut on the bias your drawstring will be slightly stretchy which isn’t a problem and some may actually prefer a bit of stretch in it.

How to Make a Drawstring:

Cut the desired size of the drawstring out of self fabric (same as garment) or contrasting fabric. I chose my length based on the amount of fabric I had leftover so it ended up being just long enough to tie in a small bow or a knot with small tails. If you want more length just make sure you cut a piece that is your waist measurement plus the amount you want for the ties/bow. You can use a piece of string or rope to test the length you like and then measure the string to determine your preferred length.

For the width, I decided on a finished width of ½”. So I used the calculation: ½” x 4 = 2”. I ended up cutting the width closer to 1 ⅞” so that when I folded the edges in toward the middle, they wouldn’t overlap, creating bulk inside the drawstring.

Once you have your drawstring piece cut out, it is time to press. You could use a bias tape maker for this or the pin method I use below. Place a pin into your ironing board so there is a 1” gap under the pin where you can slide your strip underneath. Fold each of the long edges of your fabric strip ½” towards the middle (wrong sides together). Then feed the folded strip under the pin and gently pull on it as you guide the folds with your other hand. This takes some practice so be patient with yourself and take it slow. You can press as you gently pull the folded strip under the pin or you can pull a section through, press and then pull again.

Next, fold the strip in half lengthwise so the raw edges are fully enclosed and then press. You can use the pin method again to help hold the fold if that is easier than just using your hands. I also love using my tailor’s clapper (made exclusively for WS by @Treevival) to get a really crisp press for the multiple layers of the drawstring.

The next step is to sew the drawstring along the length of the strip, with your stitching line as close to the edge as possible. You should also consider how you want to enclose the short ends of the drawstring.

Note: Depending on your fabric type, the ends may not fray too much but the wider the drawstring, the more noticeable the frayed ends will be. For my pair, I opened the short ends up and turned them in about ¼” to enclose them and then stitched the length of the strip. I also planned to tie knots so I wasn’t as concerned about the look of the ends. If you didn’t want to tie knots you could sew the drawstring lengthwise and then fold each short end over once or twice and stitch it down.