How to use a BRAIDING Presser FOOT on your sewing machine

how to use a braiding foot

When you have to attach thin trims to your clothes or other sewing projects there is no other useful sewing machine accessory than this. You can easily attach trims like thin ribbons, ric rac trims, cord, braids, etc with this foot. You get a couching stitched effect with the help of the braiding foot. It is a snap-on foot and the best thing is that it is adjustable.

How to use the braiding foot

Take your trim (ribbon, cord, etc) and see if it will fit through the hole.

Ribbon threaded through the braiding foot -right and wrong ways

The braiding foot has a hole in the front through which you have to insert the trim. There is a groove on the back and you cannot use very wider ribbons or braids wider than the groove through which the trim will be passing. If the trim is bigger than the groove on the back of the foot you will not get the same effect as you would if you are using a thin trim. But it is not as if you have to use a particular sized trim – there is a screw on the foot which lets you adjust the foot to smaller and bigger width trims.

use the screw to increase and decrease the area

If your trim is wider than the small hole which is normally there, take out your screw driver and loosen the screw in the front. Adjust the screw to accommodate the trim. Tighten the screw again.

the area inside adjusted to fit the trim

Attach the snap-on presser foot on your sewing machine.

You can thread the trim before you put the foot on the machine or afterward.

braiding foot

Insert the trim through the hole on the presser foot on the front. The trim should fit through the hole in the braiding foot.

Insert cord through the hole on the braiding foot

Take the trim end to the back. If the trim is very thin and you have difficulty threading through the hole, use an awl or something similarly sharp to push it through.

inserting the ribbon trim through the braiding foot.

Place the fabric underneath.

Adjust the length and width of the zig-zag stitch as per the trim and the effect you want. Start sewing.

If the trim is bigger than the hole, you can sew alright but the trim will be reduced in width automatically. You can see the effect in the picture below. The wide trim is reduced in size – the effect is pretty, nevertheless.

braiding foot reduces the width of the trim

Decorative stitching with the braiding foot

If you want curved effect you have to use a hoop to tighten the fabric.

braiding foot

Draw the design and then stitch.

using ribbon and the braiding foot to make embroidery like textured effect on fabric

At the end of making this you will have to finish the edges of the ribbons with a hand sewing needle and thread.

Elastic sewing with braiding foot

You can easily attach flat elastic and elastic cord the same way. This is an easy way to get gathers on your fabric – thread-thin elastic or stretchy cord on the foot and use a zig-zag stitch to attach to the fabric.

sewing elastic on fabric with the braiding foot for your sewing machine

You will have to stretch the elastic as you sew to get the gathering effect.

elastic sewn with the braiding foot

Related posts : List of presser feet used in domestic sewing machines

How did you like this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4 / 5. Vote count: 1

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

This article was written on

& updated on

Subscribe to get weekly notifications of posts in your email

Author: Sarina Tariq

Hi, I love sewing, fabric, fashion, embroidery, doing easy DIY projects and then writing about them. Hope you have fun learning from sewguide as much as I do. If you find any mistakes here, please point it out in the comments.

2 thoughts on “How to use a BRAIDING Presser FOOT on your sewing machine”

  1. Elly

    Thank you; your post was very informative. I wanted to see if there was an easy way to add a velvet ribbon trim to bottoms of skinny jeans for a boho look…. The braiding foot way! I’d never heard of a braiding foot until I stumbled across your post and now I have one being delivered tomorrow.

    Reply
  2. Beth

    Does this work with sequin trim?

    Reply
Your opinion is important here. Leave a comment