There are few things comfier in life than a
hoodie hooded sweatshirt. They’re great for keeping warm on a chilly night and work equally as well when bumming around your home or running errands.
It’s a real bummer when you pull your hoodie out of the washing machine or dryer and notice that the string is either pulled completely out or hanging by a thread. We’re going to show you step-by-step how you can quickly fix a hoodie that has had the string come out.
Stapler and Straw Method
This method is one of the quickest ways to re-string your hoodie without spending hours trying to manually force it back in by hand. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Stapler
- Drinking straw
- A few minutes of your time
Step 1 – Take the string and insert one end of it into the straw. Keep pushing it into the straw until it’s about ½ of an inch beyond the metal or plastic piece that is at the end of the string.
Step 2 – Take your stapler and staple the portion of the string that’s inside the straw. Turn the stapler so that the staple that comes out is running in the same direction as the straw. Don’t staple the plastic or metal piece at the end of the string.
Step 3 – Take the straw and thread it into the eyelet of the hoodie sweatshirt. Keep working your way around the fabric until it comes out of the other end. When doing this, it’s often easier to hold the back end of the straw and then use your other hand to move the fabric until it pokes out of the other end.
Step 4 – Once you’ve pulled the straw all the way through the other end, continue to pull on the string until each eyelet has an even amount of string coming out of it. Remove the staple and straw, and you’ve just re-threaded your hoodie in a matter of a few minutes!
The Safety Pin Method
If you have an aversion to plastic straws or can’t immediately find one, you can try the safety pin method. Here’s how it works:
Step 1 – Find a safety pin that will easily fit through the holes in your sweatshirt. Then open the pin and attach it to the end of the string, just after the plastic or metal covering. Close the safety pin.
Step 2 – Insert the safety pin that’s attached to the string in the eyehole of your hoodie. Then hold the back end of the pin and start to “bunch up” the fabric until you can’t bunch it up anymore.
Step 3 – Now firmly hold the front end of the pin and “de-bunch” the fabric so that the string that’s attached to the safety pin has moved forward a few inches.
Step 4 – Keep repeating steps 2-3 and working the string forward until you reach the other end. On average, it’s probably going to take you 10-15 minutes to accomplish the bunch-and-scrunch method as the string works its way through the tunnel of the hoodie. Once the safety pin emerges from the other side, remove it and tug on the string until both sides are even.
The Coat Hanger Method
If you don’t have a plastic straw or a safety pin nearby, grab a metal coat hanger. Be sure to wear a pair of gloves or towel when performing this method as coat hangers tend to be very sharp at the ends.
Step 1 – Grab a standard metal coat hanger at unraveling it. If you have a pair of pliers, this process becomes 10x easier. This method works best when you wear hand and eye protection because unraveled coat hangers tend to have a mind of their own.
Step 2 – Attach the drawstring to the wire. You can use a small amount of duct tape, or you can just wrap it around securely. Try not to damage the metal or plastic cap of the string as it will start to unravel as time goes by.
Step 3 – Following the steps of the above straw method, guide the unfolded metal coat hanger through the first eyelet of the hoodie and work your way to the very end. Once on the other side, detach the string from the wire and pull the ends even.
Final Thoughts
All three of the above methods work well when trying to re-string a
hoodie. The only difference is the amount of time it will take to accomplish it. If you don’t have a stapler, plastic straw, safety pin, or metal coat hanger, you can always resort to inserting one end of the drawstring into the eye hole and then manually working it around until it pops out of the other end.
It’s going to take you anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to work it around, and you’ll probably find that the string and hoodie material have a mind of their own—so keep a tight grip on the string otherwise you’ll feel like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back!
