How to bind a quilt

Finish the edges with a folded, double binding and mitred corners.

Step by step

1. Cut 2.5 inch strips. Add up the perimeter plus about 8 to 20 inches spare.
2. Join the strips with diagonal seams, trim to 1/4 inch and press open.
3. Fold the long strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
4. Start partway along one side, leaving a tail, and sew the raw edges to the quilt front with a 1/4 inch seam.
5. Stop 1/4 inch from a corner, fold the binding up at 45 degrees, then back down along the next edge. This makes a mitred corner.
6. Join the two ends where they meet.
7. Fold the binding over to the back and hand stitch it down, or machine stitch from the front.

Bobbin's tip
Plan where the joins fall so none lands on a corner.

Sources

All checked November 1, 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. Fat Quarter Shop: How to bind a quilt
2. American Sewing Guild: Binding a quilt (PDF)
3. Utah State University Extension: Double crosswise grain binding