How to Replace a Drawstring for under $2.00 (no sewing required)

It’s a beautiful day to sit around in your favorite sweatpants or pajamas, but you notice that the drawstring is broken or just missing! Oh no! I have a few comfortable house lounging pants that just lost their string. Did the washing machine and dryer eat it? I may never know.

So what happens next? Do you throw them away and buy a new pair? Nope!

In general, drawstrings on sweatpants, pajamas pants, hoodies, bags, jackets and coats can be fixed for less than $2.00. If you purchase new drawstrings from amazon they can cost upwards of $15 which is almost the cost of a new item. Go to your local dollar store and pick up a pair of shoelaces!

Depending on the selection available, you can find some really cute and funky shoelaces or the more utilitarian boot shoelaces. The great part about shoelaces is that they typically come in 54-inch or 72-inch lengths. As a bonus, shoelaces actually hold up great in the washing machine and dryer, so this fix will last a long time.

In our local store the shoelaces were near socks and bandanas.

Supplies needed to fix drawstring pants

shoelaces from the dollar store
1 safety pin

There is no special equipment or sewing experiences needed to fix a drawstring. In case you don’t have a safety pin handy, go ahead and pick up a package of them at the dollar store. Safety pins have a zillion uses and you should always have some handy just in case.

The shoelaces I found had 2 different lengths in one package, so I got 4 shoelaces total for $1.00

Other Options to Use to replace fix sweatpants string

ribbon
paracord
jute string or butcher twine
elastic
decorative cord (can be found in a craft department)
yarn
nylon cord (used in jewelry making)

All of these are options that can be used if you already have them in your home and will make your repair cost nothing. The only downside to using these options, is that they will fray or fall apart if you wash them multiple times in the washing machine and dryer. This is why I prefer the shoelaces, because they are so durable and long lasting.

Steps to replace a drawstring in pants

If the drawstring is broken, go ahead and pull the pieces out of the holes.

2. On the end of one shoestring, attach your safety pin.

Don’t pierce the plastic coating, put the safety pin in the cloth part of the shoelace.

3. Start on one side of the opening and using your fingers, push the safety pin around the waist of the pants or neck of the hoodie.

4. The easiest way is to push the safety pin a couple of inches, and then while holding the safety pin in place with one hand, pull the excess fabric down with your other hand. Keep repeating this step until you come out the other hole.

Depending on the size of your safety pin, just move it a couple inches at a time, and then pull the fabric back.

5. At this point you may notice that you have a lot of extra room in your shoestring. Pull the opening out as wide as it goes, and make sure that your string doesn’t get pulled back in. Leave at least 5 inches on each side to tie, and you can trim the rest. (If you cut the string and notice it is starting to fray, you can use a lighter to slightly burn the edge of the shoestring. This will prevent future fraying.)

This one was ok in length, so I didn’t need to trim it.

6. To keep the string from sliding out, make a single or double knot on each end of the string.

The openings were fairly large, so I went with simple double knots.

Saving Money by Fixing, not Replacing

It is so easy to just go out and replace an item when it has a broken component, but if you are on a tight budget that may not be a wise financial decision. Looking for quick and easy fixes will save you so much money in the long run!

For example, if we chose to buy a new pair of sweatpants that could have been $30 that we were not expecting. If we bought used ones at a thrift store, it may have cost $7-10. If we had bought drawstring replacements on amazon, we would have spent $10-15 plus possibly shipping charges.

This quick and easy fix cost a dollar! ($2 if you didn’t already have a safety pin). If you noticed, your shoelaces came in pairs, so the next time a clothing item with a drawstring needs to be repaired, you are ready with the second shoelace! Please think outside the box before replacing broken items. There are so many resources available to find solutions, and so many can be done very cheaply.

Staying on budget and not spending money when you don’t have to is a true discipline, but it can be done with practice! If you normally would have spent $30 for the replacement, you just saved $28 that can be used towards paying bills or debt. That is a huge win!

Don’t forget to check out “How to Replace a Zipper on a Jacket for Cheap” if the drawstring isn’t the only thing broken on your hoodie or jacket!