How to Straighten Foam Piping for Easier Sewing

Sewing your own piping let's your customize and personalize your cushion, pillow or upholstery piece. Instead of buying prefabricated piping, it's easy to make your own. That way your piping can match your project fabric for a beautiful and coordinated cushion.

When you order foam piping or welting cord, it might come tightly wound and very kinked. To make it easier to sew the piping, we have a trick on how to relax the piping and straighten it out prior to sewing.

All you need for this easy DIY hack is a pot of water and a pair of kitchen tongs. Insert the welting cord into the boiling water and let it soak for 15-30 seconds. Make sure there is enough water in the pot so that the cord is completely submerged.

Watch the video below to learn our easy DIY hack on how to relax and straighten foam piping.

Sailrite has many types of foam piping and premade piping in stock and ready to ship. Piping adds a polished, finished look to your upholstery and cushion projects. Choose from a large selection of colors and types.

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Are you looking for project inspiration? Sailrite has hundreds of free DIY projects waiting for you to explore. Whether you're a canvasworker, upholsterer, hobby sewer, leather crafter or sailor, we have tutorials on everything you'd ever want to make for your boat, home, vehicle and more. Our step-by-step video instructions and tutorials take the guesswork out of DIY. We walk you through every step of the process, ensuring you create a quality project you can be proud of.

Click here to browse our free tutorial videos and blogs.

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If you have questions about this sewing hack, please post questions in the comments section below. And if you have any suggestions for future videos, feel free to leave those below as well. Happy sewing!