Learning how to make rouleaux straps can be a wonderful  addition to your sewing repertoire. Their use doesn’t only extend to straps on a pretty dress or top, but they can also be used to create beautiful button loops instead of regular buttonholes or as ebellishments. Yes! Hear, hear…but more on this later!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

  • Bias cut strips of fabric (click here to read my tutorial on how to make bias tape)
  • A loop turner (a very useful gadget to add to your sewing kit!)
  • Some pins
    The bias strips should be at least 4-5cm wide to make feeding the fabric through the machine easier.
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How to make Rouleaux straps

Step 1 & 2
Fold your bias strip in half and place pins along the open edges.

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

Step 3
Sew a seam 0.5 to 1cm from the folded edge of the strip. Sewing your seam at any more than 1cm from the folded edge would make your straps look a bit too chunky. Remember to backstitch at the beginning and the end of the seam. 

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

Step 4
Cut off the excess fabric at the side of the seam reducing the seam allowance to about 2-3mm (approx. 1/8″)

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Step 5 & 6
Feed your loop turner through your tube until all of the fabric is scrunched up on the turner and the end of it (the hook) pops out the other end of your rouleaux strap. Next open up the little hinge on the hook, feed the end of your fabric tube through the hook and pop the hinge closed.

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

Step 7
Now start pulling onto the bulk of scrunched up fabric at the end of the turner, while pulling the turner in the opposite direction until your rouleaux strap is completely turned onto its right side.

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You now have two choices of finish: you can either leave the strap as it is for a rounder look or you can press it flat with a steam iron. In my opinion the flat finish works better for straps, whereas the rolled finish can look quite nice used as an embellishment or to create button loops, although personally I prefer to use flattened straps for button loops too. 

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

As promised, here is a little example of how rouleaux straps can be used to create beautiful embellishments. To do so, simply pin your strap to your fabric or garment in any shape or pattern you prefer. Once you are happy with your design you can use your preferred invisible stitch to sew it on. Ta-dah!

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alt="How to make Rouleaux straps " />

As button loops they are sandwiched in between the main fabric and the facing as a loop and… to give you my honest opinion they look pretty amazing. Don’t they? I love them!

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I hope you have found this “How To Make Rouleaux Straps” sewing tutorial useful and will have a crack at them sometime!

Let me know your thoughts and as always….Happy sewing! 🙂