Whether you’re making ties, straps, rouleau loops or any other thin fabric tubes, turning them right side out can be a challenge. Here is a simple and fast way to do it without having to buy any fancy notions.

You will need:

• A drinking straw – plastic, paper or reusable – just slightly narrower than the finished size of tube you’re making
• A skewer, narrow knitting needle or other long thin implement that will fit inside the length of the straw

THE MATH: You will need to cut the strip for your fabric tie twice as wide as the finished tie, plus the seam allowance. In this example for ½” finished ties, the fabric is cut at 1 ½”, or ½” plus ½”, and a ¼”seam allowance twice.

Fold the fabric right sides together and sew along the longest side, pivoting and sewing across the end and backstitching. Snip off the corner to reduce bulk.

Insert the widest drinking straw that will fit into the open end and push it all the way to the stitched end.

Taking a blunt skewer, push against the stitched end from the outside, pushing the fabric down into the straw. 

Once fabric starts to come out of the bottom of the straw, you can also pull the straw up towards the skewer and your tube will be quickly turned out.

From the inside, push out the corners with the skewer and press flat with an iron.