Tips and Tricks: Mini Sewing Kit in a Straw

As far as miniature sewing kits go, you can find lots of suggestions online for the containers--pill bottles, small Altoids tins, Tic-Tac boxes--as well as the contents (it seems like some have enough thread and needles for sewing a dress).  My favorite, and the most practical and compact kit for sewing repairs, is a jumbo straw (1/2” diameter).  And I came up with it all on my own.  You won't see it anywhere else until someone copies it (and hopefully improves on it) and posts it on Pinterest.  
Like the instructions for using straws to make mini packages for other items, I sealed one end with a pair of pliers and a candle flame to melt the plastic together.

So what goes inside?

• Two shoelaces
• Two threaded needles (it's easier to thread needles now, and the needles won't get lost if they are dropped while you're trying to thread them in low light as you escape on foot from zombies)
• Two buttons
• Two safety pins

The buttons were a little camera shy; they're off to the side.  The needles are threaded and secured under the shoelace wrapper with the thread wrapped around the edge of the wrapper and only the knotted ends visible.  Safety pins are secured in the wrapper.

Make sure these items will actually fit in your straw.  You don't need super-size shoelaces or honking needles for repairing a canvas tent.  This is a mini wardrobe malfunction kit, like for carrying in a bug-out bag.  You should have more substantial kits with your camping gear and at home.

Secure the needles in the shoelaces so that they don't get lost when you open your kit, and so that you don't accidentally get poked.

Put the shoelaces (with threaded needles), buttons, and safety pins in the straw, cut to size, and seal the other end.  To avoid poking yourself while stuffing the straw, put both needles on the end of the shoelaces that will go into the straw first.  If necessary, use the eraser end of a pencil to push everything in.  Trim the end of the straw to fit and seal with the candle flame and pliers.

Next, carefully wrap the straw with 24-36 inches of duct tape for emergency shoe (and other) repairs. That's it!

Remember, you saw it here first.

Links to related posts:
96-hour kit  
Straw mini packages
Cotton ball fire starters 

© 2019, PrepSchoolDaily.blogspot.com  05.17.20

Duct Tape Suture in a Straw

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available.  As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care. 

Can I just say I think this is my favorite suture?  What's not to love?  The price is right, you only need supplies you should already have on hand, and most anyone should be able to use it. Rather than starting off by showing how you put together the duct tape suture in a straw, I think it would be better to show how it works first.

So here we have what looks like a red Sharpie marker on QOTPE's leg, but it is actually a gaping wound.

Fortunately, bleeding was kept to a minimum. 

The needle and thread simply weave in and out on each side through the duct tape.  The skin is never touched, or it's never supposed to be, at any rate. After the "suturing" is done, this is how it looks.

The duct tape holds incredibly well.  QOTPE is still wearing this suture five hours later as she shoots at the archery range today.  (She had to keep it on so I would take her to the range today.)  Unfortunately, I did not "suture" this wound exactly as I should have.  There should actually be some space between the edges of the duct tape so that the wound below can be monitored visually.  Also, as the laceration was a couple of inches long, I should have used two sutures to close it completely.  And ideally, the wound would then be covered with Tegaderm so that it can be visually monitored while at the same time protected from contamination.  So it wasn't perfect.  But she's still alive and healed well, so it all worked out in the end.

When you're having to DIY a suture, you do the best you can with what you have. So how exactly do you put one of these together before an emergency presents itself? Begin with two strips of duct tape, about 4-5" long (they can always be trimmed later if necessary), two 2" lengths of yarn, and one smallish needle (you're not sewing up a cow) threaded with about 24" of thread, doubled over, and knotted at the end.

Not sure why I have two threaded needles in the picture.  Pretend one of them isn't there.

Lay the yarn across the ends of the strips of duct tape.The yarn stabilizes the duct tape and prevents the thread from tearing through.  You could also use toothpicks or twigs, but that doesn't seem like it would be very comfortable.

Then fold the end over the yarn and press down.  And fold down 1/16-1/8" of the opposite end for ease in handling.  Now roll (or fold) from the end with the yarn to the end of the strip of tape.  Repeat for the other yarn and strip of tape.

For the "in the straw" portion:

Fold each folded section of duct tape in half lengthwise and sandwich the threaded needle between them.  Wrap the thread around the duct tape sections.  Carefully insert them into a jumbo straw (1/2" diameter).  If necessary, use the eraser end of a pencil to aid placement.  Seal both ends of the straw with pliers and a candle flame or lighter.

We keep these in our IFAKs and emergency medical kit that we take with us traveling.  There's no point to making them for home use; it will be easier to just get the supplies out if and when we need them.  Because you're not actually suturing somebody up with a needle, you're not practicing medicine without a license.  Because no needle is going in, you don't need anesthetic to prevent inflicting pain.  There is less risk of introducing bacteria into a wound than with a proper suture needle, assuming you have irrigated the wound well, cleaned around the site well, and aren't dragging the thread through dirty areas and contaminating it.  And you won't be further damaging tissue and risking more scarring due to a needle penetrating the skin, unlike what may happen with a suture needle.  The greatest risk is that the individual getting "sutured" will be allergic to the duct tape adhesive, which contains latex.  If that's the case, or may be the case, you can also try this using heavy duty medical tape. 

This Youtube shows the general idea of the duct tape suture.

Remember, you saw it here first.

Links to related posts:
Wound Closure Supply Options
Tapes and Wraps
Lacerations
All About Sutures
Basics of Suturing
Plastic Straw Mini Packages
Mini Sewing Kit in a Straw  

06.25.24