Something else you could do is just go to a hobby store and buy a small strip of fabric in whatever pattern you want. It wouldn't take much. Most of the fabric is 44" wide, which is plenty if you're overlapping the handle area. I would not start at the fades, though. You really need to go through the handle area, just to give the extra strength that you're looking for. Otherwise, I think it'd be more of a decoration than functional.