Make Your Own Bias Tape in Any Size

In this free video quilting tip, Sarah Fielke, instructor of the online Bluprint class, Big Techniques from Small Scraps, demonstrates how you can make your own bias tape—any size you need and like! Quilters, don’t miss this great trick, and remember to check out her class today for 25% off!

Hi I’m Sarah Fielke, online instructor for Bluprint.com. I’m going to show you a really quick tip for making your own bias tape.

First of all, we’re going to start with a single layer of fabric, and you’re going to use the 45-degree line on your patchwork ruler. The 45-degree line runs along here, and you’re going to put that along the straight edge of your fabric, then make a cut. And that gives you a bias edge, which means that the fabric will stretch, so that you can curve it to make a stem. I’m going to use this part of the stem that you’ve cut so that you’ve had a longer piece, and we’re going to cut this to be an inch wide, which is going to give you a half-inch finished piece of bias.

Once you’ve cut your strip, you’re going to use this tool, which is called a Hera marker. You can get it from most patchwork shops. We’re going to put the ruler just inside the straight edge of the piece of bias that you’ve cut, and rule all the way along it quite firmly with your Hera marker. And then turn it around and do the same thing on the other side.

Now that you’ve made those creases, you’re going to get the iron, use your fingers to turn the first part of the bias tape under the crease, put the iron on the tip, and just pull your fingers along, in front of the iron to iron that side of the seam down. Then you can turn the piece around and do the same thing, fold that first part under, and then just run your fingers along the crease. That will turn under beautifully for you to make a piece of bias tape. When you turn that over, you have a piece of half-inch bias tape that’s ready to sew.

You can make any size bias tape by using a quarter-inch seam, so make sure you always cut these strips a half-inch bigger than you want them.

I’m Sarah Fielke, instructor for Bluprint.com. Make sure to check out my class, Big Techniques from Small Scraps, for more great tips, online at Bluprint.com!