When I started making my Faux Leather Base Tote Bag, I wanted to make it as close to the store bought bags as possible. I felt like I can really do it, until I reached the final part "Adding Handles". I really had no idea how to make round handles, except that I need to use some kind of stuffing to make them round.
When I searched Pinterest for Making Round Corded handles, I found these two awesome tutorials, Rolled Handbag Handles and Making Faux-Leather Handles. Unlike me, if you have good sewing skills, these tutorials will work beautifully for you. After few trials, I understood its not an easy job for a beginner like me to sew a perfect looking handles. But these tutorials gave me enough inspiration that I didn't want to give up so easily.
The thoughts of making corded handles kept rolling in my mind and then I finally discovered an easy way. Do you know how to re-string a drawstring pants? Hurrah!!! You got this then :) Are you wondering how? Let's get started then.
Supplies needed:
- 2 Vinyl (Faux Leather) Pieces of 27x3.4 inches
- Sew witchery (optional)
- 0.5 inch thickness filling cord
- Walking Pressure foot for your machine (Teflon Foot might work too)
- Sewing Notions (I used 100% Polyester Thread and 100/16 Needle as we got to sew through vinyl.)
- A wooden dowel of 0.47cm thickness (I had few left over from my DIY Star Burst Mirror Project)
- Strong and thin Jute Twine rope of 32 inches. ( Go for a strong twine. I failed several times using light to medium strength threads.)
The idea is to first sew flat handles and then insert the cording through your handles.
1. Fold about 1/2 inch inside on both long sides of 27x3.4inches vinyl pieces and press with iron. I used 1/4 inch Stitch witchery to help hold the vinyl layers together. (Always use a press cloth on vinyl before ironing.)
An easy way to determine how much width will work best for your cord is just to fold the long edges in, place cord in middle and wrap around. Don't forget to include seam allowance before you measure.
2. Again fold the vinyl piece into half, use binder clips (do not use sew pins as they can leave holes in Vinyl) to hold together and sew close with 1/8th inch seam allowance. This is where my walking pressure foot helped me get a good stitch on layers of vinyl. Leave 2 inches on each end of the handles open.
3. Now, lets get our magic wand ready!!! Take the twine and join it to one end of filling cord. ( I used a big fat needle I had on hand to get twine through filling cord and then secured it with a knot.)
4. Tie the other end of twine to one end of wooden dowel and secure with duck tape.
5. Insert the free end of wooden dowel (the end which is not attached to twine) through the middle of our vinyl flat handle. Pull the wooden dowel out, this will drag the twine into handle and then the cord.
6. Once the cord gets in place, cut the twine from cord.
1. Fold about 1/2 inch inside on both long sides of 27x3.4inches vinyl pieces and press with iron. I used 1/4 inch Stitch witchery to help hold the vinyl layers together. (Always use a press cloth on vinyl before ironing.)
An easy way to determine how much width will work best for your cord is just to fold the long edges in, place cord in middle and wrap around. Don't forget to include seam allowance before you measure.
2. Again fold the vinyl piece into half, use binder clips (do not use sew pins as they can leave holes in Vinyl) to hold together and sew close with 1/8th inch seam allowance. This is where my walking pressure foot helped me get a good stitch on layers of vinyl. Leave 2 inches on each end of the handles open.
3. Now, lets get our magic wand ready!!! Take the twine and join it to one end of filling cord. ( I used a big fat needle I had on hand to get twine through filling cord and then secured it with a knot.)
4. Tie the other end of twine to one end of wooden dowel and secure with duck tape.
5. Insert the free end of wooden dowel (the end which is not attached to twine) through the middle of our vinyl flat handle. Pull the wooden dowel out, this will drag the twine into handle and then the cord.
6. Once the cord gets in place, cut the twine from cord.
7. Sew close the 2 inch open edges on either sides of handles.
That is it!!! The magic is done :)
If you are here following my Faux Leather Base Tote Bag tutorial, then measure and mark where you want to position your handles on the bag. Sew the handles in marked positions and Tada!!! You are done.
Now show off your bag to your friends, family and ofcourse to me :)
Isn't making perfect corded handles easy this way? Now you can get creative and make colorful handles to coordinate with your bag colors. Enjoy!
I hope this tutorial was helpful for you. I was very excited when this trick worked for me, after almost an hour of trials. Thanks for stopping by :) Love to hear your comments.
