If your drawstring is uneven, twisted, or lost completely inside the waistband, you do not need special tools to fix it. Grab a safety pin or a thick phone charging cable and let’s pull it back through.
(Related: How to Fix a Drawstring on Sweatpants).
Method 1: The Safety Pin Trick (Best for Lost or Uneven Strings)
If one side is way longer than the other, pulling the short end usually just sucks it into the fabric. Stop pulling. Pull the whole string out instead so you can rethread it evenly.
- Pull the uneven drawstring completely out of the garment.
- Take one end of the string and pierce it securely with a medium sized safety pin. Close the pin. Make sure it grabs a thick piece of the string so it does not rip out halfway through.
- Push the closed safety pin into one of the empty drawstring holes on your pants or hoodie.
- Use your fingers to scrunch the fabric over the pin, hold the pin from the outside, and pull the scrunched fabric down the string. This inchworm motion moves the pin through the channel.
- Keep going until the pin pops out the other hole. Even out the ends and tie a thick knot on both sides so this does not happen again.
Method 2: The Charging Cable Hack (If You Do Not Have a Safety Pin)
Flat shoelace style drawstrings work great with a sturdy charging cable. This method takes under four minutes because the cable is rigid and pushes through easily.
- Thread the small connector end of your charging cable into the empty hole.
- Push the cable all the way through the channel until it comes out the other side.
- Tie the end of your rogue drawstring tightly around the cable connector. You can use a small piece of tape over the knot if it feels loose.
- Pull the cable back out the way it came. It will drag your drawstring right through the channel.
To prevent future issues, tie barrel knots at the ends of your strings. Round drawstrings are notorious for slipping out in the wash, so always knot them before throwing your clothes in the laundry machine.
