How to Repair the String in Sweatpants

A drawstring allows you to adjust the waist to your own preferences.

The drawstring in the waist of your favorite sweatpants caught on the agitator in the washer. The twisting action pulled it partway out and you didn't realize the string was caught and pulled it the rest of the way out when you unloaded the clothes. If the ends of the drawstring went into the pants through a button hole, you might be able to thread the string back in with a safety pin, but if they went through a grommet, you will have to open a seam to repair the pants. Fortunately this is not difficult.

Things You'll Need

• Seam ripper
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Instructions

1. Open 2 inches of the seam in the bottom of the drawstring casing. The casing is the channel the string runs through. Make 2-inch openings just beyond the grommet or button hole on each side of the center of the waist.

2. Stick one end of the string through hole in the opening you made in the casing on the right side. Bring the same end of the string out through the grommet or button hole next to it.

3. Pin a large safety pin to the other end of the string and use it to thread the string through the casing to the opening you made on the other side.

4. Remove the pin and stick the end of the cord through the grommet or buttonhole on the left side.

5. Sew the openings in the casing closed by sewing a straight seam along the original seam line.

Tips & Warnings

• If the string is broken, it is best to replace it with a new string. You can also overlap the frayed ends and sew these together on the sewing machine. If the string broke inside the casing, you may have to make a third opening in the casing to reach the string.