Have you found an easy way to restring drawstring pants?

I had that job once about 50 years ago. I cut a coat hanger and made a loop in one end like a foot long sewing needle. But I mostly just don’t buy drawstring pants, except swimsuits. I buy something with a stretchy waistband.

Duct tape one end to a chopstick..

Last time I did it I used a crochet hook.

Get a large safety pin and attach it to the end of the string. The safety pin is easy to keep hold of when threading it through the waist band

What @Stinley said. I do this a lot and the safety pin thing is very effective. Tedious, but the most effective method I’ve found. I make a lot of scrubs and sleep pants for family members.)

I used a pencil to restring my shorts. Just tied it to the pencil and worked it through.

I go with @Stinley ‘s safety pin approach. They’re easy to wiggle through side seams.

Safety pin. Then tie each string with a fat knot once you get both sides out, so that the knot will prevent it from happening again.

I have used a hairpin to do this: https://openclipart.org/image/2400px/svg_to_png/121315/hairpin.png

I use a safety pin most of the time, but I’ve also used a kids crafting needle

I’ve used duct tape to attach the string to a knitting needle.

Last time I needed to do it I found a DIY video on YouTube. It’s my goto site for such chores.

When making things that require a drawstring, I use a large safety pin and attach it to a length of ordinary light string. Threading the string is easy. I tie the drawstring cord to that and pull it through afterward.

It’s the same principle as those scenes in the adventure movies where they tie one end of a light cord to a rock and toss it across the chasm, and then follow it with the heavy rope tied to the other end.

Attach a (closed) safety pin through one end of the cord, and work the safety pin through the fabric and around the waistband. This method always works for me.

If the string is still there tie a new one to the end and use the old one to pull it through. If it is not then use a safety pin to work it through.

Very similar to @SmartAZ only I used tie wire (it is more flexible), made a hook so it didn’t penetrate the material, threaded it through, tied on the string and pulled it back through.

Thanks for all the answers so far! Just to clarify, I am unstringing the pants on purpose. They are part of a uniform, and the string gets twisted and caught up in itself because it is flat rather than a round cord. Restringing them is something I will have to do every once in a while, which is why I’m looking for an easy way to do it. Or maybe I’ll just have to ask a different question about preventing flat drawstrings from twisting up.

Duh, use a round string? I dunno, that sounds like a situation where you just look and see what it needs.

@SmartAZ Like I said, it’s a uniform. I am not allowed to alter it.

Could you replace it with flat elastic? Sew the elastic in with the correct tension and sew on the ends of the drawstring cord to tie together for show? A tailor could do that easily for very little cost.

@Stinley Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll look into it.