How to make Shoe Laces by Spool Knitting

Do you enjoy spool knitting projects? This tutorial shows how to use a spool knitter to create DIY shoe laces.

It is trendy to have colorful laces in sneakers, and with the instructions on this page, creative and custom laces can be made.

A spool knitter has four pegs, but for this project, only two pegs are used to make the cord narrow enough to pass through the holes in the sneakers.

With a little bit of time and very few supplies, this spool-knitted project of making shoe laces can be completed.

If you like spool knitting, scroll down under Annette's signature to find more projects!

Don't know how to spool knit? Check out our page on spool knitting to learn the basics. Our spool knitting projects page has many other fun projects to make with your spool knitter. Spool knitting is fun for kids and adults, and many surprising things can be made with a spool knitter.

Click the link below to watch our video on YouTube and learn more about making DIY shoe laces, or read this post for a photo tutorial with step-by-step instructions.

WHAT YOU NEED to make spool knitted shoe laces

• Yarn
• Spool knitter
• Spool knitter hook
• 2 Tapestry needles
• Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS to make DIY shoe laces

STEP 1: Begin spool knitting

Take the length of yarn and thread it down into the spool knitter. Although the spool knitter has four pegs, only two will be used for this project.

With the working yarn, wrap it around two adjacent pegs, making a figure eight design.Then, bring the yarn back around to the front of the first peg.

Using the spool knitting hook, take the bottom loop and loop it over the top of the peg.

Wrap the yarn in a figure eight around the second peg, and, as before, use the hook to loop the bottom loop over the peg.

Remember to gently pull the bottom of the cord down through the spool knitter after looping over the pegs. 

Continue spool knitting until the shoelace is the desired length.

Step 2: finish off the end of the cord

To take the cord off the spool knitter, the end must be finished.

Do this by casting off the stitches.  Make your final stitch.

Using the hook, lift the loop on the last stitch you made and place the loop on the other peg.  This peg now has two loops in it. To cast off, with the pick or hook, lift the bottom loop and pass it up and over the peg. 

There will now be one loop on the peg. 

Cut the yarn, leaving a good tail length.  Gently remove this last loop from the peg.  Insert the yarn tail into the loop and draw it through the loop.  Pull the yarn tightly to knot the loop.

Step 3: Lace the shoes

Remove the old laces from the shoes.

Take the two tapestry needles and thread one on each tail on either end of the cord.

The tapestry needle will make it easier to put the laces in the shoes.

Begin at the toe of the shoe and lace both holes.

Make sure that there is the same amount of cording on either side of the shoe.

Use the tapestry needle to finish lacing the shoe.

step 4: finish the ends of the cording

The yarn tails need to be woven into the shoe laces.

Take the yarn on the tapestry needles and insert each one into the center of the cord, coming up about an inch or an inch and a half from the end.

Using the scissors, cut the yarn close to the cording.

Tie a knot at the end of each cord so the laces do not slip out of the shoe.Repeat this process to make the second shoelace.

Once the two shoes are laced up, put them on and tie a nice bow. The new laces are ready to show off!

Other Spool Knitting Projects:

• Snowman Ornament
• Flower Bookmark
• Braided Bracelet
• Rug