Restring an Adult Hoodie With a Safety Pin: Six Practical Steps

An adult hoodie with an intact drawstring casing may be rethreaded with a securely closed safety pin. The iFixit source link provides actual step photos. Never restore hood or neck cords to children's upper outerwear.

4 min read2026-10-24

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OriginalChild upper-outerwear hood-string safetyU.S. CPSC

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What you need

An adult hoodie with an intact cord casing, off the body
Its original drawstring or a similarly sized replacement
One safety pin that closes firmly
A clean bright tabletop and optional flashlight

How to

1. Confirm the garment is intended for an adult. Do not replace or reinstall a hood or neck drawstring in children's outerwear because of entanglement and strangulation risks.
2. Lay the hoodie flat without wearing it. Inspect both casing openings and the fabric tunnel between them; if it is torn or obstructed, do not force the cord through.
3. Tidy the tip of the original cord, attach a safety pin through its end and close the clasp completely. Never feed an open sharp pin into the fabric tunnel.
4. Insert the pinned end into one opening. Scrunch a short section of the casing over the pin and advance the pin a little with your fingers, keeping hold of its position.
5. Smooth the gathered fabric behind the pin and repeat until you reach the opposite opening. Stop and check for twists or snags if you meet unusual resistance.
6. Pull the pin and cord out of the other opening, remove the pin, even the hanging ends and finish according to the adult garment's original construction. Double-check that no pin is left inside.

One more tip

**For adult garments only.** The US CPSC identifies hood and neck drawstrings in children's upper outerwear sizes 2T–12 as a substantial strangulation hazard. Do not restore or add a hood cord to such children's clothing. Work while the adult hoodie is off the body and keep the safety pin securely closed. Stop if the casing is torn or the pin snags fabric; seek repair rather than forcing it.

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How to

One more tip

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