How to Make Bias Binding from a Fabric Square - Easy and Fun Too!

Here's a little picture tutorial on how to make bias binding from a square of fabric. This is the method I used to finish the Mystery Quilt Project recently, and many other things over the years.

I hope you find it useful the next time you need to make bias binding for a project.

First you need to find out what size square to start with by looking at this handy bias binding calculator. Then cut the square in half diagonally and sew the two triangles back together as shown below.

Two of the short sides are sewn right sides together and the long sides are parallel and opposite each other. In the picture above, the long sides are on the top and on the bottom of the picture running horizontally.


Draw lines parallel to the long side of the triangle at intervals equal to the width you need for your project. In this example I am drawing my lines every 2 1/4 inches.


This is what the wrong side of your fabric will look like with your lines drawn.


With right sides together, bring one short side over to meet the other short side, folding up the rest of the fabric in the middle. This will seem very awkward because you will not be able to flatten out the fabric and it will be all bunched up underneath.


Taking into account the seam allowance and where the stitching line will be, match up the ends of the lines you drew, offsetting them by one line, so that the ends of the two short sides are not even with each other. Pin in place.


Now if you make this pinned seam diagonal and straighten out the rest of the fabric, you will see that you have a tube of fabric with one corner of each triangle sticking out at each end, and the lines you drew should follow each other from one triangle to the other.


Now bring this odd piece to the sewing machine and stitch the seam.


Now here comes the fun part! Beginning at one overhanging corner, start cutting on the line that you drew.


Keep cutting around and around, making sure you are only cutting one layer of fabric, until you get to the end of the line and have cut your way all around the tube.


And here is your long piece of bias binding in your desired width, after having sewn only two seams! I still giggle every time I do this. I think it is the coolest ever time saver in sewing.

I first used this method of making bias binding many many years ago when I was following a pattern for a scalloped tree skirt which called for bias binding around the entire outside scalloped edge. I have used it since for many other things, just taking whatever size fabric square I had available and following the same directions. If I needed more, I would cut another square and do it again. Then I found that super handy bias binding calculator on-line and using that solves the problem of having to guess what size fabric square to begin with.

I hope this method of making bias binding helps you save time too, and maybe even makes you giggle!

Happy Stitching!

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