5 Ways to Tie Pants Strings (Plus, How to Restring Pants)

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Learn how to tie drawstring pants quickly and easily
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Pants with adjustable strings are a comfy staple, but sometimes those strings can be a hassle. That’s where we come in! From a simple bow knot to an adjustable knot and even single-loop strings , we’re here to teach you 5 easy, stylish ways to tie pants strings. Read on to learn how to tighten your sweatpants or gym shorts and keep them secure.

How to Tie Pants Strings

  1. Pull the strings taut and cross them to make an “X” shape.
  2. Pull the left string behind the right and wrap it around several times.
  3. Create another “X” with the strings 1.5 in (3.8 cm) in front of the first “X.”
  4. Bring the left string around through the new loop and pull it tight to tighten.
  5. Slide the knot along the right string to adjust the tightness in the waistband.
Section 1 of 6:

Tying a Simple Bow Knot

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  1. When you cross your right string over your left string, it will form a small loop. Take the right string and feed it through this loop, pulling as you do to bring it down to the base of your pants. [1]
  2. The loop with the right-hand string will serve as the first loop in your bow. To secure it and prepare the other loop, take the left-hand string, wrap it around the base of the right-hand string, and leave some slack. [2]
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  3. Use the slack you left in the previous step and fold the loose section of the left-hand string into a horseshoe shape, holding it together with your fingers. Then, feed it through the loop you just made and pull tight to secure the bow. [3]
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Section 2 of 6:

Tying a Simple Adjustable Knot

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  1. Take your right-hand string and fold it into a loop. Then, take the end of the string and feed it through the loop. Pull on the end of the string, but leave a little bit of slack in the knot you just made. Then, repeat on the left-hand string. By the end, you should have two knotted strings with a bit of slack. [4]
  2. Place the loose ends of the strings so they’re overlapping, then take the string on the bottom and pull it into the loop on the other string. So, if your right-hand string is on the bottom, pull it into the left loop. Repeat with the second string, then pull them together to tighten. [5]
  3. To tighten the knot, grab the loose ends of your strings and pull them away from each other. To loosen the knot, grab the loops on each side and pull them away from each other. [6]
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Section 3 of 6:

Tying a Single Loop String

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  1. Looking down at your waistband, use both hands to hold the exposed part of the string loop away from your pants. Create a single oval-shaped loop that’s parallel to the floor. [7]
    • A single loop pants string has no “end.” As the name indicates, it’s a single, continuous loop of string, some in the waistband of the pants, some sticking out from the front of the waistband.
    • These directions assume you have the pants on and are looking down to tie the knot.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    With your hands holding either side of the oval loop, use your fingers to press the top of the loop towards your belly button. Once the top of the loop touches your waistband, you’ll have created 2 equal loops—still parallel to the floor—that look like a pair of bunny ears. [8]
  3. While keeping the top of the original loop pressed to your waistband, use your hands to squash both “bunny ear” loops into long strands. Your goal is to turn a single loop of string into what is essentially 2 separate strings. [9]
    • Pretend that each bunny loop is a single piece of string that you'll be tying together to make a knot.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Remember to use each squeezed-together “bunny ear” as if it’s a single end of a shoelace. Then, tie a basic shoelace knot by following these instructions: [10]
    • First, do the traditional “under, over, through, and pull” maneuver to tie a simple knot against the front of the waistband.
    • Then, use either the “around the tree trunk” (by forming 1 loop) or the “bunny ears” (2 loop) technique to complete the shoelace knot—go with whichever one you learned in kindergarten!
    • Work slowly and deliberately. This makes it easier to differentiate between the loops you’re intentionally making (in order to do the shoelace knot) and the loops you’re trying to keep squashed together so they function as single strings.
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Section 4 of 6:

Tying a Taut Line Hitch Knot

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Grasp each string with your same-side hand and hold the strings taut (stretched out without slack), pointing forward. Cross the left-hand string (the string in your left hand) under the right-hand string. Looking down from above, the strings will form the shape of an X. [11]
    • Hold each string about 6–8 in (15–20 cm) from where it emerges from the waistband. If the strings are shorter than 6 in (15 cm) in length, it will be difficult (but not impossible) to tie this knot.
    • These directions assume that you’re wearing the pants and are looking down to tie them. You can, however, just as easily tie this knot when someone else (or no one) is wearing the pants.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Looking down, you’ll see a triangular opening between your waistband and the cross of the X. Place the tip of the left-hand string into this opening from above and pull the string’s entire slack through the opening. [12]
    • Maintain a taut hold of the right-hand string with your right hand.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Wrap the tip of the left-hand string under the right-hand string, back over the top of the right-hand string, and then once again into the triangular opening between the waistband and the cross of the X. Pull the slack of the left-hand string partially but not fully taut. [13]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Bring the loose ends of the strings together to form another triangular opening. Then, wrap the left-hand string around the right-hand string, just as you did in the previous step. Put this second wrap right up against the first wrap, on the waistband side of it—that is, so that the first wrap is closest to the cross of the X. [14]
    • Pull the slack of the left-hand string partly but not completely taut once again.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Make this new intersection point about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) beyond the center of the X. A small loop will form between this new intersection point and the original crossover. [15]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Wrap the loose end of the left-hand string over and around the right-hand string so that it feeds into the loop you just made. Maintain a good grip on both strings—and don’t worry, you’re almost finished! [16]
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Tug on the end of the left-hand string until you eliminate all the slack and create a snug wrap around the right-hand string. At this point, you’ll see 3 snug, side-by-side wraps—the 2 you made in the triangular opening, and the one you just made through the loop. [17]
    • The remaining length of the right-hand string will be quite a bit longer than the short remaining stub of the left-hand string.
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Tie Pants Strings
    Maintain a taut hold on the right-hand string, then pinch the 3 wraps—which combine to create the knot—between the thumb and first 2 fingers of your left hand. Slide the knot towards your waistband to cinch up the drawstring, and slide it away from your waistband to loosen the drawstring. [18]
    • You don’t have to untie this knot in order to pull down your pants. Simply slide the knot to loosen it, then cinch it again after you pull your pants back up. You can even leave the knot in place permanently, although it may eventually work itself loose when placed in the wash.
    • While it’s easy to tighten and loosen this knot with your fingers, the knot won’t easily loosen due to pressure placed on your waistband—for instance, by sitting down or by eating a big meal!
    • If there’s an excessive length of the right-hand string sticking out when you cinch up the knot, just tuck it into your waistband.
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Section 5 of 6:

Tying a Thumb-Loop Knot

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  1. Pull your left string out in front of you and pull the end back towards you. Then, fold it to the left side to make the top loop, fold it toward the right, and overlap it around the base of the string to form a double loop that looks like the ampersand symbol (&). [19]
    • If you’re having trouble, imagine you’re drawing a backwards S with the string.
    • Hold the overlapped section with your thumb to keep it from falling back into place.
  2. Grab your right string and use your right hand to fold it into a small loop. Then, feed the right string’s loop into the top loop on the left string that you folded in the previous step. [20]
  3. Grab the loop that you fed through the top loop on the left string and wrap it around the bottom loop on the left-hand string. Then, pull both sides of the string tightly away from each other to secure the knot. [21]
    • To tighten, grab the remaining thumb loop and loose end, then pull the top of the opposite string. To loosen, grab the thumb loop and loose end, then pull the bottom of the opposite string.
    • To untie, take the loose end on the left side and pull it.
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Section 6 of 6:

How to Restring Your Pants String

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  1. Professional tailor Korri Burton-Universe says to attach the safety pin on one side of the string, then feed it through the channel for the pants string by inchworming it, pushing, and pulling the safety pin through. [22] Continue inching the safety pin and pants string through until it comes out through the other side.
    • If you don’t have the original string, you can purchase replacement pants strings from local craft stores or online retailers.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/GqnEeerVCmo?si=DKn3IJFWKROojDWd&t=15
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/GqnEeerVCmo?si=SFJOyR912X8THfo5&t=23
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/GqnEeerVCmo?si=KvUwfZgRl1gEFhEl&t=29
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/tetWfxW2pSs?si=R3xGTROxypO5xhlR&t=6
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/tetWfxW2pSs?si=h3q476C5uOe62woh&t=40
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/tetWfxW2pSs?si=f82sBLyD6uQb7f3j&t=62
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/AnAmuoQTOFI?t=15
      8. ↑ http://www.sweatshorts.co/information-on-sweat-shorts/the-correct-way-to-tie-a-single-loop-drawstring
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/AnAmuoQTOFI?t=19
      1. ↑ http://www.sweatshorts.co/information-on-sweat-shorts/the-correct-way-to-tie-a-single-loop-drawstring
      2. ↑ https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tautline-hitch
      3. ↑ https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot
      4. ↑ https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tautline-hitch
      5. ↑ https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tautline-hitch
      6. ↑ https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/tautline-hitch
      7. ↑ https://www.101knots.com/taut-line-hitch.html
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/aBTetBgjRC8?t=60
      9. ↑ https://www.animatedknots.com/midshipmans-hitch-knot
      10. ↑ https://youtu.be/3R0Lp86GEBk?si=HqtUW2dmo6xqEfuy&t=2
      11. ↑ https://youtu.be/3R0Lp86GEBk?si=ZfNAcCqqezVt4ygc&t=7
      12. ↑ https://youtu.be/3R0Lp86GEBk?si=qvS1D7EvpZTdR49k&t=10
      13. ↑ Korri Burton-Universe. Professional Tailor. Expert Interview

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To tie a two-end drawstring on your pants, first cross one string over the other to make an x shape. Then, pull the left-hand string up through the opening at the bottom of the x. Wrap the left-hand string over and under the right-hand string and back up through the bottom opening. Now, wrap the left-hand string around the right-hand string again, and lay the left-hand string over the right-hand string above the intersection of the x. Finally, bring the left-hand string around and through the new loop, and pull on the left-hand string to make a knot. Slide the knot up and down along the right-hand string to loosen or tighten your pants. To learn how to tie a single loop pants string, scroll down!

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      • Alexa Akins

        Mar 25, 2021

        "I've been trying forever to tie my single loop drawstring hem pants for a year. They are constantly untied. ..." more
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