How To Make a Long Bias Tape
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How to make a long continuous bias tape
Making your own continuous bias tape is a clever technique that turns a single square of fabric into metres of perfectly cut bias strip — with no waste and no joins. From a 39 cm square you can get 4.7 metres of 1.5 cm wide bias tape.
Materials & settings needed
- A fabric square (e.g. 39 cm × 39 cm)
- Fabric marker or chalk and ruler
- Pins and scissors
- Sewing machine
- Bias tape maker (optional but recommended)
- Iron
Step-by-step instructions
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Cut the square into two triangles
Start with a fabric square — 39 cm works well for this example. Cut it diagonally from corner to corner to create two equal triangles. This diagonal cut is what puts your strips on the true bias, giving the finished tape its stretch and flexibility.
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Join the triangles into a parallelogram
Place the two triangles right sides together along their straight edges, pin, and sew with a standard seam allowance. Press the seam open. You now have a parallelogram shape with two diagonal edges ready for marking.
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Mark the parallel lines
Using a ruler and fabric marker, draw evenly spaced parallel lines along the longest edge of the parallelogram. For 1.5 cm wide finished bias tape, mark lines 3 cm apart. These lines will become your cutting guide once the tube is sewn.
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Form and sew the tube
Fold the fabric right sides together, bringing the two short edges to meet — but offset the lines by exactly one strip width so they are staggered by one row. Pin carefully and sew to create a tube. This offset is what creates the continuous spiral when you cut.
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Cut the spiral
Starting at one end of the tube, cut along the marked lines in one continuous spiral. The offset seam means the line wraps around the tube without interruption, producing one long unbroken strip of bias tape.
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Fold and press with a bias tape maker
Feed the strip through a bias tape maker sized to match your strip width. As the tape emerges, press it with a hot iron to set the folds neatly in place. Wind the finished tape around a card to keep it tidy and ready to use.
Pro tip
The amount of tape you get depends on your square size and strip width. Larger squares and narrower strips produce more metres. To calculate yield before cutting, multiply the area of the square (in cm²) by 0.9 to account for seams, then divide by your strip width in cm — this gives you the approximate length in centimetres.
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