How to Make Your Own Piping


Back when I showed you my screen porch tour, I told you it really wasn’t 100% finished. Why? Well, I really wanted to sew a cushion for the garden bench.

As I was looking for piping for my cushion, I was getting VERY disappointed! Why? Two reasons:

  1. I couldn’t find a simple piping cord in a white color.
  2. Anything that might work (off-white) was VERY expensive!

So, I decided to teach myself how to make my own piping for the cushion. I can tell you now, I WILL NEVER BUY PIPING AGAIN! It was that easy.

Materials:

  • Cotton rope
  • Inexpensive cotton/poly blend white fabric
  • White thread
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine with a zipper foot
  • Iron

Tutorial:

1. Start by measuring your fabric and put a snip at 3″.

2. Tear the fabric along the length. The strip should stay approximately 3″ along the rip.

3. To add more length, cut two pieces at a 45Ëš angle.

4. Pin the two angled ends together as shown (at a 90Ëš angle).

5. Stitch the two pieces together along the angled edge.

6. Open up the fabric and press the seam.

7. Lay your rope in the center of the fabric.

8. Line up the raw edges and pin next to the cord.

9. Using your sewing machine and zipper foot, stitch very close along the edge of the rope but not on top of it.

And this is your finished product! I actually like how the thin fabric shows the spiral pattern of the rope through it.

Now, head on over to my tutorial for sewing the bench cushion cover!

52 replies
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  1. Nikole cutler
    Nikole cutler says:

    Thank you for posting! I have been nervous to try this – I even have the cording and everything. Your pictures and explanations make it look so easy.

    Reply
  2. Alice
    Alice says:

    Talk about teaching an old dog new tricks, you just taught this one a big one. Thanks so much I will certainly try this for the cushion on my chair and a half I want recovered. You’re awesome PHG.

    Reply
  3. Linda
    Linda says:

    Thank you SO much for this tutorial, I am no longer afraid to try piping a cushion cover.

    The fabric you chose is just lovely and finishes off the bench!

    Reply
  4. Holly Kennedy
    Holly Kennedy says:

    Hey there! I just “found” you via the CSI project, and I am DYING over all the fantastic stuff you have done! I have spent an inappropriate amount of time reading many of your past posts! I look forward to watching what you create next, and learning how you do it! Great job!

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] Luckily, the day before I started to do this, one of favorite bloggers had a post about how to do piping. Check out Pretty Handy Girl’s instructions here! […]

  2. […] Piping trim (tutorial for making your own less expensive piping) […]

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