Repair an umbrella

A common way for umbrellas to break is for the fabric to come loose at the end of a spoke. With some minor sewing skills you can quickly fix it. If you are lucky, then rather than the fabric itself ripping, the thread that holds it to the spoke will have broken.

Thread your needle twice with nylon thread (or another water-resistant thread). Fold over the last couple of millimetres of loose fabric, taking care to leave the canopy just lax enough to open the umbrella fully once the repair is complete. Use the other spokes as a guide for how much tension you need.

Either the spoke itself or a plastic cap at the end of it will have a small hole to attach the spoke to the canopy. Sew the fabric on either side of the spoke together through the small hole several times. You will mostly be running the thread through the hole and around the underside of the spoke, but if possible also try to run the thread through the gap between the top of the spoke and the underside of the canopy. This will provide a wider area for the fabric to pull against, and lessen the risk of your handiwork quickly coming undone. Again, look at the other spokes to see how the rest of the umbrella has been constructed.

Take care to create a tight knot – the knots will be pulled on when the umbrella is in use. If the fabric itself has given way, you will have to sew your new knots further away from the spoke to prevent the same tear breaking the fabric again.

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