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Home » Sewing » Learn To sew

How to Clip Corners (Best Sewing Tips)

May 22, 2017

See how to clip corners. This simple sewing tip will make your life easier and your sewing projects more pro-looking. Works every single time!

how to clip corners

This post includes affiliate links. Thanks for your support. Are you here for useful sewing tips? These are a must-see too:

  • All My Bag-Making Tips (FREE!)
  • Guide All About Zipper Sewing (All My Tips!)
  • the master guide for learning to sew

If you want nice, crisp and flat corners of your sewn bags, cases, and pouches - check it out! This simple sewing tip will show you how to clip corners, making your sewing projects more pro-looking. If you're looking for an easy way to reduce or even eliminate bulk when sewing corners (even when sewing with multiple layers!) - check out this easy, but very effective sewing tip.

So little work, but so effective that you might end up using this instead of the usual diagonal corner clipping. Works every single time!

How To Clip Corners

Now, do you like nice and flat corners on your sewing projects? I know I do. No lumps, please! Too much bulk in the corners will always result in an unsightly lump. No sewer wants bulky corners, especially because so little work is needed to take it all away.

 Learn how to clip corners. You'll never go back to a simple diagonal corner clipping once you start trimming your seam allowance this way! AND you'll be less likely to cut into stitches. Check out this easy sewing tip.

Are you familiar with bulky corners like these? I know I am. But they are history now.

"I've had issues with lumps in the corners of my sewing projects for a long time. Especially when sewing tiny details, or with thick interfacing, I couldn't get the corner to behave as I wanted. Until I tried a new way of corner trimming. This one."

My first solution would be cutting the excess fabric at a straight diagonal line. But if you simply trim off your corner at a diagonal (one straight-line cut), chances are that you either won't cut off enough fabric, or you'll snip into stitches. None of those is good and defeats the purpose of corner clipping.

 Learn how to clip corners. You'll never go back to a simple diagonal corner clipping once you start trimming your seam allowance this way! AND you'll be less likely to cut into stitches. Check out this easy sewing tip.

So, what to do instead?

Here's an easy solution to this problem: try trimming twice - snip a piece off on each side of the corner, at an angle. You'll see what I mean when I show you this image:

 Learn how to clip corners. You'll never go back to a simple diagonal corner clipping once you start trimming your seam allowance this way! AND you'll be less likely to cut into stitches. Check out this easy sewing tip.

Trim each side at an angle from the corner point.

Later, when you turn your fabric right-side-out, you'll surely notice a difference. Make sure you push out the corner using a pointy, but not sharp object to get just the right form. Now, press. How does it feel? No lumpy part in the corner. How great is that! Congratulations, you're slowly turning into a pro!

While it works nicely for the usual, right-angle corners, it is a must for me when sewing at an angle less than 90 degrees, like the TRIA Coin Purse:

 Learn how to clip corners. You'll never go back to a simple diagonal corner clipping once you start trimming your seam allowance this way! AND you'll be less likely to cut into stitches. Check out this easy sewing tip.

The double trimming works great with acute angles like this one. And the result? This:

easy coin purse pattern
TRIA coin purse pattern

Sharp and crisp pointed tips. Every single time. Without using this tip, I am practically unable to make a nice, crisp and sharp point on this tiny coin purse. You can make your own if you like (Here's more about my TRIA coin purse pattern if you'd like to check it out.) I've included several additional sewing tips in the pattern instructions to make the project super easy and fun.

This corner trimming trick will work with or without interfacing. You can use it on many projects, nearly all my patterns use it, including some of the most popular ones:

  • Coin Purse Pattern With Zipper Pocket
  • TRIA Mini Coin Purse Pattern - Updated!
  • The Ultimate Diaper Clutch Pattern
  • Aiden Crossbody Cell Phone Purse Pattern

No matter if a piece of fabric is interfaced or not, this tip will make your life easier and your sewing projects more pro-looking. You'll never go back to a simple diagonal corner clipping once you start trimming your seam allowance this way! AND you'll be less likely to cut into stitches.

Less fabric in the way and less bulk - meaning nice and flat corners. Perfect!

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How to Clip Corners (Best Sewing Tips)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Liane

    March 15, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    I have an another way too. I use pinking shears. I cut the different angles like you but I use the indent of one of the teeth of the pinking shears directly above the corner. Because of the angle of the teeth it gets very close to the whole corner not just the tip.

    Reply
    • Damjana

      March 15, 2021 at 6:38 pm

      Liane hi,

      an excellent idea!

      Reply
  2. Sandy

    January 13, 2019 at 9:47 pm

    Your patterns are great. I like your tips also. I also clip my corners the same way you do, and I trim away the excess
    batting. The batting also makes the corners bulky.

    Reply
  3. Maureen T

    June 06, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    Excellent tutorial. To me I wonder how I could have missed this idea. Glad to have found your tutorial. Thank you

    Reply
    • Damjana at AppleGreen Cottage

      July 28, 2017 at 12:42 pm

      Thank you, Maureen!

      Reply

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