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Sew a phone strap – quick and easy!

04.10.2026 by Sabine Schmidt

Handyband nähen – schnell und einfach!

Sewing a phone strap is fun! With our beginner-friendly tutorial, you can sew a practical phone strap yourself in no time.

The most important things at a glance

  • sewing a simple phone strap for beginners
  • great ruffled look thanks to sewn-in elastic
  • super suitable for woven fabrics
  • ✂️ Sewing level: easy
  • ⏰ Sewing time: 1 afternoon

Why should I sew a phone strap?

Phone straps or phone lanyards are great for carrying your smartphone comfortably, having it with you at all times, and still keeping your hands free. Our phone strap with ruffles has an elastic band on the inside, which ensures that the strap moves with you and fits comfortably against your body.

And of course, the best reason of all to sew a phone strap yourself is that you can perfectly match your new phone carrier to your wardrobe and your carrying habits.

YouTube tutorial: How to sew a phone strap with ruffles

What do I need to know as a beginner before I get started?

The DIY phone strap is an uncomplicated beginner project for which you don't need any extensive prior experience. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to read through the instructions once in peace and perhaps watch the sewing video in advance. This usually clears up the most important questions.

It is best to wash and iron your fabrics beforehand so that your cutting is precise and any finishes or color residues are washed out.

What do I need to sew the phone strap?

The list is short and invites you to make the most of your fabric and elastic scraps :)

Can I sew the phone strap with or without ruffles?

Of course! In this tutorial, I will show you how to sew the phone strap with ruffles. To sew a phone strap without ruffles, you can simply sew two strips together in the desired length, e.g., 1.20 m, and include the loops with lobster clasps in the short edges.

For this variant, you should reinforce the fabric beforehand so that the phone strap is durable and retains its shape.

What features does my sewing machine need to sew a phone strap?

Here too, it remains very simple: a straight stitch is perfectly sufficient to sew the phone strap. You can also use it to directly lock the seams: simply sew forward and backward a few stitches at the beginning and end of the seam.

Which sewing machine needle is suitable for this project?

The smartphone strap is sewn from woven fabric such as poplin, patchwork fabrics, or linen (see info box). A universal sewing machine needle in size 70-80 is ideal for this. Make sure the needle is fresh and sharp. Older, burred needles can pull unsightly threads in the fabric.

Which fabrics can I use to sew the phone strap?

The best fabrics for this sewing idea are woven fabrics that are not too stiff, such as patchwork fabrics, cotton poplin, or linen. They are stable enough to make the phone strap robust, but at the same time soft enough to create beautiful ruffles.

For my phone straps, I used fabrics from the Nähcafé am Wasserturm*.

Do I have to reinforce the fabrics before sewing?

If you use a standard poplin or linen fabric, you do not need to reinforce it beforehand. On the contrary: the fabric ruffles particularly well if you simply leave the characteristics it already brings with it. That often makes the charm of the project.

What sewing thread can I use to sew the phone strap?

A simple all-purpose thread, such as Seralon from Mettler, is perfectly suitable for this purpose. If you prefer working with cotton sewing thread, Silk-Finish Cotton from Mettler, for example, is a good idea.

🐭Conclusion: Sewing phone straps makes you happy

Well, that's a cool sewing idea, isn't it? And with our instructions, you can now sew the sweetest phone straps for yourself and your loved ones (a brilliant gift idea!) in any length and color. So, let's go – grab your favorite fabric scraps and get started!

Happy simple sewing, Sabine

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Step-by-step instructions

Sew a ruffled phone strap

Ready for a little sewing adventure? Don't worry, this project is really a piece of cake! And it's so much fun to see how even the most understated fabric beauties show their character thanks to all those ruffles 💖

  1. Step

    Sew a phone strap

    To sew your cool ruffled phone strap, you need the following materials:

    • 30 x 110/140 cm cotton or linen fabric for the strap
    • 20 x 4 cm fabric for the loops (depending on the width of the swivel clasps)
    • 2 swivel clasps, 1-2 cm wide
    • at least 1 m elastic, 2-3 cm wide
    • phone strap holder
    Sew a phone strap
  2. Step

    Cut the fabric

    Cut the fabric into 15 cm wide strips across the full width.

    Whether your fabric is 110 cm wide (like some patchwork fabrics) or 140 cm (like most standard woven cottons), the phone strap will work either way.

    Cut the fabric
  3. Step

    Straighten the ends

    Straighten the short edges of the two 15 cm wide fabric strips.

    Straighten the ends
  4. Step

    Sew the ends together

    Place the two short edges of the two 15 cm wide fabric strips right sides together, edges aligned.

    Sew the ends together
  5. Step

    Pin the edges together

    Pin the two short edges right sides together, edges aligned.

    Pin the edges together
  6. Step

    Sew the ends together

    Sew the two short edges together with a straight stitch and 1 cm seam allowance.

    Sew the ends together
  7. Step

    Press the seam allowances open.

  8. Step

    Press the ends under

    Press both short ends 1 cm to the wrong side.

    Press the ends under
  9. Step

    Pin the long sides together

    Now pin the two long edges right sides together, edges aligned.

    Pin the pressed ends in place on both sides at the same time.

    Pin the long sides together
  10. Step

    Long edge pinned

    This is what it should look like now

    Long edge pinned
  11. Step

    Close the long edge

    Sew the long edge together with a straight stitch and 1 cm seam allowance.

    Close the long edge
  12. Step

    Press the seam allowance

    Press the seam allowance open from the wrong side.

    Press the seam allowance
  13. Step

    Turn the tube

    Turn the prepared tube right side out.

    Turn the tube
  14. Step

    Press the tube

    Press the prepared tube so that the seam lies in the centre.

    Press the tube
  15. Step

    Position the elastic

    Place the elastic in the middle of the strap and mark the distance to the strap edge on both sides.

    Position the elastic
  16. Step

    Marking done

    My elastic is 2 cm wide, so the distance from each long edge to the elastic is 2 cm.

    Marking done
  17. Step

    Stitch the strap

    Stitch the phone strap along the marking with a longer straight stitch, e.g. stitch length 2.5 - 2.5 mm.

    Stitch the strap
  18. Step

    Prepare the loops

    Now you need two loops approx. 8-10 cm long and four times the width of your swivel clasps.

    My swivel clasp is 1 cm wide, so I cut the strip 4 cm wide.

    Prepare the loops
  19. Step

    Press the loops in half

    Fold the loop in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press it.

    Press the loops in half
  20. Step

    Fold the loop

    Fold the long edges of the loop in to the centre again and press them well.

    Fold the loop
  21. Step

    Sew the loop

    Fold the loop in half again and topstitch the edges with a straight stitch.

    Trim the loop to 2 x 8-10 cm and thread it onto the swivel clasps.

    Sew the loop
  22. Step

    Thread the elastic

    Thread the elastic through the centre casing of the strap using a safety pin or bodkin. Secure the free end with a safety pin.

    Thread the elastic
  23. Step

    Attach the loops to the elastic

    Wrap the loop ends around the ends of the elastic and pin them in place.

    The elastic should reach at least 2 cm into the loop.

    Attach the loops to the elastic
  24. Step

    Sew the elastic to the loop

    Sew the elastic to the loop several times.

    Sew the elastic to the loop
  25. Step

    Close the short edges

    Push the elastic and loop into the casing so that the loop reaches at least 1 cm into the casing. The loop should sit exactly in the middle of the casing.

    Then close the open edges by edgestitching with a straight stitch.

    Close the short edges
  26. Step

    Attach the phone strap holder

    Insert the phone strap holder and attach the phone case.

    Attach the phone strap holder
  27. Step

    Hook on the phone strap

    Now all you have to do is hook the swivel clasps into the phone strap holder and your new phone strap is ready to be taken out.

    Hook on the phone strap
  28. Step

    And of course I didn't stop at just one phone strap – this project is simply too quick and looks too cool for that ;)

    Plus, as soon as I made the first test pieces, my friends got in touch and asked whether I "happened to have one spare" 🤣

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About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.