How to add a binding to your quilt (no hand sewing required)

This video shows how to add a scrappy sewn quilt binding to your quilt. No hand sewing is required to attach this binding. This is a quick method for adding a binding to your quilt.

To make a scrappy quilt binding, the first step is to cut 2.5" strips from the fabrics you want to use for the binding. The strips do not need to be the same length for a scrappy binding, but they need to be more than 5" long or you will not have any binding once the sections are attached together.

You can also cut all of your strips from the same fabric. This would not be a "scrappy" binding but is also a normal binding for a quilt.

Once you have your strips, they need to be attached together by laying them at a 90-degree angle to one another and sewing a seam from corner to corner. See the video for details on how to strip the pieces together.

You need to have enough binding to get around your entire quilt with a good amount to spare. Extra is needed because of the mitered corners and more will be needed to join the fabrics at the end.

Use our binding calculator to figure out the number of strips to cut for creating the binding for this quilt.

Once you have the strips all into one long strip, then iron all of the seams open. Then iron the whole strip in half wrong sides together. You will have a long binding strip which is now 1.25" wide. Cut off the little ends which stick out where the fabrics were joined together.

Next, attach the binding to the back of the quilt. Starting somewhere along one of the long sides of the quilt, place your binding with the raw edges in the same direction and sew a 1/4" seam attaching the binding to the quilt. Remember to leave an 8" tail at the beginning. This tail will be used when joining the binding at the end. Please see the video for detailed instructions.

When approaching the corners, use the mitering method described in the video (click the link above) to keep the corners flat and nicely mitered. The video also explains how to join the two ends of the binding together once you reach the starting point. Follow these directions to join the fabrics together and complete the sewing of the binding onto the back of the quilt.

If you are still having problems getting nicely mitered corners, click the link to for another tutorial.

Once the binding is attached to the back of the quilt, turn over your quilt and start wrapping the binding around to the front.

With this binding method, a decorative stitch such as the serpentine stitch is used to sew the binding down. In traditional methods, the binding would be wrapped around to the front, and then it would be hand sewn down.

After selecting the serpentine stitch on the machine, the stitch length needed to be made longer to make a wavy line stitch. Begin in the middle of one of the sides of the quilt and start stitching the binding down. Watch the video for more details on stitching it down.

When you approach the corner, stop before you get to the edge. Next, wrap the binding on the next side of the quilt around to the front.

Make a mitered corner by pushing the fabric for the next side into the corner and folding down the corner for the side you are stitching.

Once the mitered corner is folded to your liking, continue sewing into the corner and then turn the quilt and continue sewing on the next side. Continue the process all the way around the quilt and finish attaching the binding.

And your scrappy quilt binding is finished!

LEARN TO QUILT SERIES

• Cutting: Cut the Blocks
• Assemble: Assemble the Blocks
• Make your Quilt Backing: Make your Quilt Backing
• Layer and Pin Baste: Prepare your quilt for quilting
• Quilting the Top: Quilt the Layers together
• Square the Quilt: Beginner Quilt Series - How to Square Up a Quilt
• Binding A Quilt (three options): 
  •  Flange Quilt Binding (No Hand Sewing)
  • THIS POST - Quick Quilt Binding (No Hand Sewing)
  • Traditional Quilt Binding
• NEXT POST - Labeling your Quilt: Modern Quilt Labels and Tags

OTHER QUILTING TECHNIQUES

• Tying A Quilt: How to tie a quilt instead of quilting it - Learn How to Hand Tie A Quilt
• Pillowcase Quilt Finish: How to finish quilt without binding - Learn How to Finish Quilt without Binding - Pillowcase Finish

Other binding tutorials you may be interested in are below.

Learn how to machine bind a pot holder with this tutorial.

Traditional Quilt Binding - How to finish the edges of a quilt, wall hanging, table runner, placemat, and any quilt projects.

The self-binding method is good for smaller projects like mug rugs, wall hangings and table runners.  It can be used for small quilts.