If you’re tired of fiddling with a safety pin or giving up on your favorite sweatshirts, know that there is a very simple solution to replace the cord on your clothes. We explain everything to you.
Replacing a cord inside a hood or an elastic waistband is a challenge that has bothered us all at least once. We’ve all tried the famous safety pin to guide the cord through the tunnel, but between the thread slipping, the pin coming loose or pricking your fingers, it often ends in cries of frustration. However, there is a much simpler way. Some people use a paper clip or even a knitting needle to push this famous cord. But these methods have their limits. If the fabric is thick, the paperclip may bend or get stuck. The knitting needle, on the other hand, is generally too stiff or too wide to pass through certain narrow passages. So, should we really give up and abandon the idea of putting those damn cords back in place?
Other slightly less common tips include using a stiff shoelace or a thin bamboo rod. These objects sometimes allow you to pull or push the cord, but you still need to have them on hand and find the right balance between flexibility and rigidity. If the tunnel is particularly long, these tools can quickly become ineffective or frustrating. In reality, the solution is right in front of you, and you probably already have it at home. To replace a cord in the blink of an eye, all you need to do is use… a pen. Yes, a ballpoint pen or any smooth cylindrical object of similar size will work. But how does it work in practice?
Here’s how to do it: start by inserting one end of the cord into the hollow body of the pen (removing the lead and internal mechanisms if necessary). Once secure inside, use the pen as a rigid extension to guide the cord through the garment tunnel. Simply push gently while adjusting the cord as you go. This technique works even on the narrowest passages and avoids the frustration of breaking pins or paperclips.
And if you don’t have a ballpoint pen, a stiff straw, a Chinese chopstick or even a thin hair clip will work. Anything that can combine length, rigidity and finesse is potentially a solution. Cunning !