Tutorial: Colorful Shoelaces Using Fabric Scraps
If you have a lot of small scraps that you don’t know what to do with, try getting creative and making a pair of scrappy shoelaces. It’s best to use medium to light weight fabric scraps for this (something like quilting cotton will work well). The idea is to sew the scraps together, cut them out, and fold them to create your shoelaces. Follow along with the tutorial below to make walking a more colorful experience for you.
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Supplies Needed:
(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)
Step 1
arrange your scrap fabric
Lay out your fabric scraps and start lining them up however you like. Make sure the scrap collage is long enough for your shoelace pattern to fit (remember it needs to be twice as long as the pattern so you can cut it on the fold). Remember to overlap the fabric pieces to account for seam allowance.
Note: This is easier with straight edges, so I recommend cutting straight lines and right corners on your scraps.
Step 2
sew your scraps together
One-by-one sew each of the scrap pieces together. Make sure to press each of the seams as you go.
Step 3
cut out your shoelace pattern
Overlay your shoelace pattern on top of the collage. Then cut it out (you can use scissors if you want, I just find it easier to use a rotary cutter). Repeat the process for you second shoelace.
Rather than folding the scrap collage in half and cutting the scarf pattern, I decided to cut one layer at a time. I left the shorter edge uncut and shifted the pattern to the other side to cut the second layer. If you mess up and accidentally cut the center, don’t worry, just sew it up the same way you did for all the other scraps.
Step 4
fold the Shoelace in four, like double fold bias tape
Fold the outer edges to the center (left). Then fold the fabric in half (right). Then sew the shoelaces closed all the way along the length.
Step 5
twist and wrap thread around the ends of the laces
Twist the fabric at the end of the shoelaces to make it narrower, then tightly wrap thread around it to keep it in place.
Step 6
dip the shoelace tips in glue
To keep the ends of your shoelaces from fraying over time, dip them in glue. I prefer to use tacky glue since it holds well and dries clear, but most types of glue will work well enough. Once the glue has dried, you’re finished.
Finished!
