Sewing Piping: How to Make Custom Fabric Piping

Learn how to make piping for sewing! While most shops have a great variety of bias tape, it is generally harder to find nice piping. Piping is a great decorative finish on all kinds of projects, such as cushions, clothing, handbags, and home decor. It adds a bit of class, a pop of color, and, best of all, stops the edges from wearing. Here is how to make piping for your sewing projects.

How to Make Piping for Sewing Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to make piping for a pillow and other projects from bias strips and sew the cord inside, ready to insert into a cushion or other home decor item.

Once your piping is prepared, learn how to sew piping into cushions, bags, and sewing projects.

Supplies for Making Piping

What you need for making your own custom piping for sewing is:

• Bias tape or strips of fabric. Cotton is usually better than polyester.
• Cord
• Zipper foot
• Sewing basics – sewing machine, needle, thread, scissors, ruler

Piping Cord

The next important item you need for making piping is a cord. You can purchase specialized piping cords, which come in different thicknesses for different projects, or use any other cord you find in your sewing room. I misplaced the bag of specialized cords I purchased for this tutorial, so just used a firm colored cording which worked just as well. Most piping works well with 1/8 inch (3mm) to 1/4 inch (6mm) piping cord.

Zipper Foot for Making Piping for Sewing

As you will need to sew really close to the cord, a zipper foot is needed. A zipper foot allows you to sew close as it only has metal on one side. The other side is open. Most machines come with a zipper foot, but if yours doesn’t, then consider purchasing a sewing machine foot kit.

How to Make Piping for Sewing (Step by Step)

Here is how to make piping for cushions and clothing that is as individual as you are. Best of all, making your own piping will save you money.

1. Cut Fabric Strips

How Wide to Cut Bias Strips to Make Piping? The fabric should fold around your cord and have the appropriate seam allowance on either side. Measure the circumference of your cord and then add the seam allowance on either side. Don’t use a seam allowance that is any smaller than 3/8 inch (1cm), as it will be too hard to sew.

Example of Width of Your Cording and Strips:

• My cord was 1/4 inch (6mm) in circumference.
• I needed piping with a seam allowance of 1/2 inch (12mm) so my bias strips need to be 1 1/4 inch (3.1cm) wide to allow for the 1/4 inch (6mm) thickness of the cord.

Piping gives body and durability to the edges of bags, clutches, and cushions and can be used to insert a pop of contrast color into clothing and sewing projects.

2. Press Open the Fabric Strips

If you have a pre-purchased bias, then press open the folded edges of the bias strips. If you have made your own bias strips, then you are all ready to go!

3. Wrap the Fabric Around the Cord

Wrap your piece of bias around the piping cord and pin it in place, matching the raw edges of the piping. The wrong side of the fabric should be together. I like to use pins placed vertically, but this is a personal preference.

Just be careful that you have a long tail of the cord so there is no chance of you accidentally pulling the cord out of the casing before you have finished. Putting a pin through the cord at the end helps prevent pulling.

4. Baste the Piping Edge

Hand baste along the edge of the piping with a large running stitch (up and down stitch).

You could skip the basting stitches, but I find that by basting first, I get a much neater finished piping with the stitching nice and tight along the cord. Doing the running stitch in a contrast color will make it easier to remove at the end. Otherwise, use a matching color if you don’t plan to remove it.

5. Stitch the Piping Fabric

Using your zipper foot, stitch along the edge of the piping. Stitch as close as you can to the edge of the cord without piercing through it. See how the needle is nice and close to the cord edge.

6. Remove Basting

Remove your basting and…Voila! Lovely handmade piping for sewing. Stitch over the ends or secure them with a pin so the cord does not pull out. Also, make sure your fabric is nice and flat over the cord and not stretched out.

Pin for Later

How to Make Piping for Sewing – In Conclusion

Learning how to make piping allows you to create custom decorative trims for garments, bags, cushions, and home decor projects. Homemade piping made from bias strips can be matched perfectly to your sewing fabric for a professional, coordinated finish. Once your piping is prepared, it can be inserted into seams, edges, and corners to add decorative structure and definition to sewing projects.

Next, learn how to sew piping into your pillows and sewing projects!

• Cushion Cover with Piping
• Christmas Cushion with Piping