With the advent of the VSCO girl, scrunchies are huge right now.
And with good reason: they’re fun, a great way to accessorize and add a pop of color or pattern, and easy on the hair. With no metal parts, they’re less likely to damage strands. Also, they’re another perfect project for utilizing scraps and leftover fabric, meaning they can help reduce textile waste!
Scrunchies are also super simple to make. In just a few steps, you can create your own fabric hair ties–make some for yourself, then make some for gifts.
To create your scrunchies, you will need:
- some fabric (just about any light to medium-weight fabric will work)
- elastic (1/4″ wide to 1/2″ wide knit–do not use non-roll elastic)
- thread
Tools needed are:
- fabric scissors/shears
- a sewing machine
- hand sewing needle for finishing
Instructions
First, cut out a rectangle of fabric measuring about 5″ by 18″.
You can vary the size for a smaller or bigger scrunchie. If you want your scrunchie to be smaller, cut it out at 4″ wide, or if you want it to be more luxurious, make it wider, up to 7″, and longer, up to 25″.
Then, fold your rectangle in half lengthwise; sew across the edge using a narrow seam allowance, but do not stitch the ends. Leave about 2″ not sewn at each end.
Next, turn your tube right side out. It should be large enough to use your hands, but if you have a more narrow loop, you can use a loop turner or even a safety pin.
After that, you’ll want to sew the two short ends of your rectangle together. Being to keep your first seam straight and not twisted, line then ends up, and using the same narrow seam allowance, stitch across the end.
Then, cut off a piece of elastic about 6″ or 7″ long, depending on how large you want your scrunchie to be. Taking a safety pin, thread your elastic through your fabric loop, careful to not twist it, and securely stitch the elastic ends together.
To finish up, thread your hand sewing needle and attach your thread to one end of the hole in your fabric loop. Use a ladder stitch or invisible stitch to sew the hole shut. To work this stitch, grab up a small bit of fabric from one side of the seam, then the other side, and keep alternating until you reach the end. Tie off, cut your thread, and enjoy!
If you want to watch this tutorial, be sure to check out my video below:
