How To Make Your Own Handbag Piping
Making your own piping is a great way to add interesting texture and a professional decorative touch to your handbag. This also allows you to choose your own fabric (either print or plain!) instead of using packaged piping that usually comes in a limited selection of colors. In addition, piping adds depth and stability to your new bag. The instructions given are for piping to trim the top of an outside bag pocket.
Some type of cording is needed to create the dimensional effect for your piping. There are many options such as Wright’s Cotton Filler Cord, which is available at most sewing stores and at most Wal-Mart’s that carry fabric. Keep in mind how big your bag will be – if you are making a small purse, do not overwhelm it with large piping. I have used shoe strings and large kite string so just use your imagination!
The width and length of your fabric depends on the size of your cording. My personal favorite is rope from Ace Hardware in the 1/8” width size. You get 48 feet for about $4.00 which will last you a very long time! If you are using 1/8” cording, I recommend that your fabric be 1 ¾” wide. This gives plenty of room to sew in your cording and also attach your piping to your handbag.
Cut your fabric strips 1 ¾” wide by however long you need your piping (For the Two Pocket Tote Bag pattern, this will be 14") . This fabric strip width is based on using 1/8" wide cording.
After cutting your strips of fabric, wrap them around your cording making sure the cording extends a little beyond each end of your fabric with RIGHT side of fabric facing out, WRONG sides together. Stitch just below the cording using a zipper foot, making sure not to crowd the cording (Do not have your stitching line pushing against the cord too tightly). Your piping will measure approximately 3/4" in width.
Turn to check out your handiwork! You should see 2 pieces of fabric right side out with a line of piping going down the middle, as shown in the illustration below:
To finish off your pocket, just fold your pocket over with the piping on top and WRONG SIDES together and press.
You will now have a very stable pocket with a decorative piping trim on top!
This handbag piping tutorial is also available in PDF format - just print it out!