How to fix hoodie strings

Time Required

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What You Need
How to fiddle a hoodie string back into the hood
Get spare parts

5 - 15 minutes

This guide has been the hard work of our awesome students and is found to be exceptionally cool by the iFixit staff.

Gerald Ortiz

You've likely experienced issues with the drawstring on your hoodie. One end can get pulled into the hoodie, or worse, the whole thing can get pulled out. When it does, you're left with a loose hood, but this sartorial complication is easily solved with just a few household items.

Even if your drawstring is in place, where it belongs, you can get creative and replace it with a new drawstring in a different color or even a different material. That wouldn't qualify you as a designer, but it does make your hoodie unique. Whether you're trying to refresh your hoodie or just putting a rogue drawstring back in its place, these are the steps to get you there.

What You Need

Directions

Gerald Ortiz

Step #1

Insert the drawstring into the straw. It helps to use a plastic straw, not a metal or rigid plastic reusable straw.

Gerald Ortiz

Step #2

Thread the drawstring through the straw. If you can get it through to the other end of the straw, great. If you can't, don't worry. Just make sure the drawstring is at least a few inches into the straw.

Tip: A chopstick can help push the drawstring through the straw.

Gerald Ortiz

Step #3

Insert the straw into one of the eyelets of the hood and hold it in place.

Gerald Ortiz

Step #4

Grab the other side of the hood and thread the straw all the way through to the other eyelet. As you inch the straw through the hood, pinch the straw so as to prevent the drawstring from coming out of the straw along the way.

Tip: If you're having trouble, you can use a stapler to help keep the drawstring inside the straw. At a portion of the straw where the drawstring is located, place the stapler across the width of the straw and press the staple. This should pinch the straw and the string into place.

Gerald Ortiz

Step #5

To prevent future incidents, tie the ends of the drawstring together, or each end of the drawstring in a knot.

Gerald Ortiz

How to fiddle a hoodie string back into the hood

Most hoodie owners are familiar with loosing the string inside the hood or out of it altogether at one point or another, and to get the thing out or back in there to it's correct place is unfortunately not always a piece of cake. But as always, you needn't worry - we've got your back. Here's an easy trick for you!

Step 1

Fasten the safety pin at one of the ends of the hoodie string. If you use a straw instead of a safety pin, put the string inside the straw and attach them together with the stapler.

Step 2

Put the safety pin, which is attached to the string, inside the string channel and push it through by bundling up the fabric and moving the pin forward. If you use a straw, push it through the same way by bundling up the fabric and movin the straw forward.

Step 3

Make a knot at the ends of the string to make sure it doesn't get lost again inside the hoodie.

Get spare parts

In case you need any extra parts to complete your repair we have everything you need in stock. From buttons and thread to zippers and fabric patches (see the entire list here). Just send us an e-mail to [email protected] outlining what parts you need and where you’d like them sent and we’ll arrange it for you.

I pulled the drawstring on my hoodie half way out. One end of the string is there and the other end of the drawstring is stuck somewhere in the middle. How do I feed the drawstring back out of the hole? Can I do it without removing the complete string? If I pull it out all the way, I do not think I can ever get it back in again. I tried the paper clip and safety pin trick but it did not work. Is there an easy way to do this fast?

Use a Coat Hanger: (use this method if you need to get the complete drawstring back into a hoodie)

Put a small hook on the end of a metal coat hanger with pliers.
Slide it into the hoodie drawstring channel.
Slide it until it is about an inch past the end of the drawstring.
Rotate the coat hanger a full circle to try and “grab” the drawstring.
Carefully slide the coat hanger out and the end of the drawstring should be attached.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Use Needle Nose Pliers:

Bunch up the hoodie drawstring channel.
Bunch it up until you are as close to the end of the drawstring as possible.
Slide the end of your needle nose pliers into the channel.
Grab the end of the drawstring with the pliers and pull out.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Use a Knitting Needle:

Put it in the hole that the drawstring is stuck in and follow up to the end of the string.
Be sure to bunch up the fabric as you go.
You will have to spear the end of the drawstring and then carefully pull it out.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Drawstring Replacement

Use a Safety Pin:

Slide a safety pin through the end of the channel where the drawstring in stuck.
Feel through the material and grip the pin flat.
Hold the pin on the string end.
Slide the string channel material over the pin and grab the outboard end of the pin.
Draw the hoodie material backwards over the string.
Keep doing this until you have the string out the other end.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Use a Paper Clip:

Put a small hook on the end of a paper clip using needle nose pliers.
Slide it into the hoodie drawstring channel while “bunching up the material”.
Slide the paper clip until it is about an inch past the end of the drawstring.
Rotate the paper clip a few times to try and “grab” the drawstring.
Carefully slide the paper clip out and the end of the drawstring should be attached.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Use a Drinking Straw:

Slide the straw into the channel.
Work the straw into the hoodie channel until you reach the end of the drawstring.
Slide the straw onto the end of the drawstring.
With the string stuck in the straw, slide the straw out and the drawstring should come with it.
(Once both ends of the drawstring are out, tie a small tight knot on each end so this does not happen again)

Use the Easy Threader Flexible Needle Drawstring replacement tool

NOTE: These methods work for ANYTHING that has a drawstring including men’s swim shorts and sweatpants.
These methods will also work for getting a completely removed drawstring back into a hoodie, sweatpants, or swim shorts.

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