How to Make Fabric Ties with Knits - Sewing

Hello! Stay for a minute (it’s that quick!), and learn how to make fabric ties with knits.

Just dropping in to share this awesome little hack for how to make ties for face masks or really just about anything you need fabric laces for, clothing, accessories, home decor, or crafts.

Tutorials for 2 FREE mask patterns or Adding a nose piece, click below:

Fitted Face Mask Pattern tutorial HERE
Pleated Face Mask tutorial HERE
Adding a Nose Piece tutorial HERE

It is super-fast, easy, and fun to make knit or fabric ties. Plus, they are soft, stretchy, comfortable, and attractive.

I love this technique so much I may look for reasons to use it. Bonus, NO SEWING!

Sewing Supplies for Knit Fabric Ties

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Supplies Needed
Knit Fabric with spandex
Sewing Scissors HERE or
Rotary Cutter HERE

Optional Supplies
Straight Edge for cutting, optional
Sewing Board HERE optional or
Safe Cutting Surface HERE optional

Instructions to Make Knit Ties

Below is a quick description of how easy it is to make DIY fabric knit ties. Ready. Set. Let’s go!

1 Cut the knit fabric in long strips of 1-inch width (or to your preference).

Experiment first to choose the right width for you. I have found if it is too skinny or too wide, it is wimpy, or it does not curl properly.

BE SURE to cut the strips parallel to the curl that you are looking for. Sometimes the fabric curls both directions.

2 After cutting, hold the top with one hand and the bottom with the other, and stretch. The sides curl into one another, and WA-LA, you have the coolest fabric tie ever.

You may need to stretch in sections if your tie is long.

Knit fabrics typically do not fray, so we do not have to finish the raw edges. They are ready to use as-is, right after you have stretched them.

3 There you have it! Fabric knit ties for your DIY face mask pattern or just about any other project that needs a cute tie.

How Do You Use Face Mask Ties

The current need is for masks, and this is a great way to wear them! Threading your face mask with DIY ties is easy peasy.

Your specific mask pattern design will dictate how long your ties will need to be, but below are a few ideas for threading your face mask.

Ties behind the head, or the head and neck.

If you are threading through a casing on both sides and prefer to tie your mask behind your head, you just need two ties.

The face mask pattern above is available HERE.

Looped behind your ears. Cut two shorter ties and thread through the casing for looping around each ear.

This face mask with ties pattern available HERE

Tied behind head and ears.

This design threads continuously from one side to the other. The band goes behind your head, and then you can fasten just once behind your neck.

The face mask with ties pattern available HERE

What else can I use Fabric Ties for?

Knit ties have many uses. Here are a few more ideas!

Handmade Clothing
These ties are perfect for lacing up a soft knit shirt or tightening up a hoodie. They would work great to cinch up a sleeve or waistband too.

Home Decor and Accessories
Knit ties would make the perfect bow on a pillow or would be ideal to attach a chair cushion.

Bags, Packs, and Purses
Soft ties would serve well for DIY drawstring bags or backpack straps.

Knit ties for your Face Mask
And, as I said before, these ties are perfect for fastening face masks! Tie them around the ears or behind your head. You’ll love ’em!

What is the Difference Between Knits and Wovens

For this little project, you are going to need knit fabric. First, let’s go over the two main types of fabrics; Knits and Wovens.

In simplest terms, most t-shirts, underwear, and leggings are made from knit fabrics, and most shirts, jeans, and pants are made from woven fabrics.

Woven fabric is made by weaving two sets of yarn. Knit fabric is created by interloping or knitting one set of yarn.

What kind of knit fabric for the best ties?

I’ve found that sometimes the best knit for this job may be already lying around your house. An old cotton t-shirt or cotton leggings may be perfect.

Knits with a bit of spandex will generally work best. If the fabric naturally curls in on itself, that’s a good sign. To test, cut a short strip and see what happens.

If it curls, there’s a good chance you’ve got a winner.

If you are buying new knit fabric, ask for a sample first to test. I have had some knits fray a bit too much (messy!) and some others that do not spring back enough to work well.

Experiment with swatches before committing! Don’t give up, try different knits, colors, and patterns too. It’s worth it!

I hope this simple idea and tutorial is helpful. It’s a fun trick to remember and use in lots of different projects. If you try it, please let me know in the comment box below. Enjoy!

xo,
Cindy