• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

The Ruffled Purse®

Discover the Joy of Sewing

  • Learn to Sew
  • Blog
    • Sewing Projects
    • Sewing Knowledge and Skills
    • Sewing Clothes
  • Shop
  • About

How to Make Square Corners

April 3, 2020 By Nicki 2 Comments

This post may contain some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission which helps keep my blog up and running but it won't cost you a penny more)! Click here to read my full Disclosure and Privacy Policy..

36shares
  • Share It

Getting a crisp corner isn’t hard if you know the perfect storm of ingredients – pivoting in the right place while sewing the seams, trimming, and pushing/pulling out the corner.

If you want to see tips on knowing where to pivot and trimming different types of corners including inward and outward square corners, acute and obtuse corners, and corners with added layers check out Stitching and Cutting Corners Correctly.

The focus of this post is pushing or pulling out the corner, the third element to making a perfect square corner.

Tools to Push or Pull Out Corners

Scissors

For years, scissors were (and sometimes still are) my go-to tool for pushing out corners to get the square, crisp corner.

While the closed end of scissors gets the job done, it isn’t without risks.

Scissors are tools to use to turn corners.
Don’t use scissors with a very sharp point.

If the end of the scissors is too pointy, it could poke a hole in your fabric no matter how careful you are.

This got me thinking about what else could be used because several project posts I’ve written have corners that need to be pushed out.

Tools to Buy

If you do a quick search online for “tools to push out corners in sewing” several options will show up, many under $10. Some even serve more than one purpose.

Tools you can buy to turn corners.

There are three tools I ‘ve purchased over the years that can be used to push out corners:

  • The top tool is The Purple Thang. It’s a multi-purpose tool that can be used to push, pull, poke, measure, and perform any number of sewing jobs.
  • The middle tool is Alex Anderson’s 4-in-1 Essential Sewing Tool. In addition to the turner, it has a seam ripper, stiletto, and presser.
  • The bottom tool is the Crystal Point Turner by Lee.

Items Around Your House

If you don’t want to spend money on a specialty tool, you may have one of the following items around your house.

Tools around the house to turn corners.
1. The end of a brush/seam ripper tool
2. A crochet hook
3. A paintbrush
4. Pin
5. Needle and thread
6. Pencil eraser

Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 6 make good tools to push out corners because they have a rounded end that is small enough to fit in a corner.

Numbers 4 and 5 are good tools to use to pull out the corner.

Number 4, the pin, can be used when the corner is acute.

Using Needle and Thread

Use a needle and thread (number 5 in the photo above) to turn a corner and get perfect results every time.

Before you can use this method, you need to know how to tie a knot in thread.

Projects with Corners

Now that you have some options for turning and getting perfect corners, check out some of these projects on The Ruffled Purse®:

  • Simple pillowcase
  • Bean bags
  • Fabric drink coasters
  • Pattern weights
  • Pennant banner
  • Square pillow
  • Storage bag for drink coasters

Try the thread turning technique as well as different tools to see which one works best for you.

Who knows…you may find yourself using more than one tool/technique depending on the project.

Let’s Connect

My main goals are to support, empower, and inspire you to discover the joy of sewing.

Need help or have questions on this project, pattern, or tutorial? Send me an email at nicki@theruffledpurse.com and we can work together to get it figured out!

Make sure you sign up for Snappy Scissors, my FREE newsletter sent directly to your inbox for ongoing sewing inspiration and education.

Also, like or follow The Ruffled Purse® on Facebook. This is another way to stay up-to-date on the fun things going on at The Ruffled Purse.

You can even follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube! 😊

Pinterest image for turning corners
36shares
  • Share It

About Nicki

Nicki Hibbits is the writer behind The Ruffled Purse blog. She has spent almost all of her adult life either sewing or thinking about sewing. After 28 years as an elementary school teacher, she has combined her love of sewing with her teaching expertise to support, empower, and inspire others to discover (or rediscover) the joy of sewing.

Comments

  1. Betsey says

    August 28, 2020 at 9:01 am

    My favorite corner pusher is a bone folder – from my paper crafts supply of tools. I have almost all of the options you have shown and a few more, but my bone folder makes the best pointed corners.

    Reply
    • Nicki says

      August 28, 2020 at 4:51 pm

      Thanks for sharing, Betsey! I had never heard of a bone folder and had to look it up. When I saw the picture of it, my heart jumped. I’m pretty sure I have one in a box of miscellaneous sewing things my mom gave me and didn’t know what it was. Now I need to see if I can find it! I can see why it is you’re favorite!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello, I’m Nicki!

Welcome to The Ruffled Purse® where you can discover (or rediscover) the joy of sewing! I want to inspire you to use sewing to bring to life creative ideas as well as a way to solve everyday problems. With sewing, you can create wonderful things for yourself, your home, and others. About me...

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Recent Posts

  • How to Fix Crotch Holes in Jeans
  • Easy-to-Sew Blouse Pattern
  • Make a Yo-Yo Christmas Garland
  • Double-Fold Quilt Binding: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Applique Tools to Make Sewing More Enjoyable

Safety Disclaimer

Use caution when working with sharp tools and objects including, but not limited to, scissors, needles, pins, and rotary cutters.

Read and follow safety instructions in the sewing machine instruction manual.

Do not use the sewing machine as a toy. Close attention is necessary when the sewing machine is used by or near children.

© 2017-Present Nicki Hibbits. All rights reserved. Legal Disclosures.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy