Making your own scrunchies is a fun and easy project that allows you to customize your hair accessories with any fabric you like using simple materials like fabric and hair ties (or elastic).
What You'll Need
- Fabric: A strip of fabric (common sizes range from 3.5 to 4 inches wide and 18 to 22 inches long, but you can experiment).
- Elastic: A piece of elastic or a sturdy hair tie (about 7-9 inches long for wrist-sized scrunchies). Quarter-inch wide elastic is standard.
- Sewing Machine or Needle & Thread: For sewing.
- Pins: To hold fabric in place.
- Safety Pin or Bodkin: For threading elastic.
- Scissors: For cutting fabric and thread.
Simple Steps to Sew a Fabric Scrunchie
Here’s a breakdown of the process to create your own hair scrunchie:
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Prepare Your Fabric Strip:
- Cut your chosen fabric into the desired strip size.
- Fold the fabric strip lengthwise with the right sides together, so the wrong side is facing out.
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Sew the Fabric Tube:
- Sew along the long raw edge of the folded fabric. A seam allowance of about ¼ to ½ inch is typical. This creates a long fabric tube. Leave both short ends open for now.
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Turn the Tube Right Side Out:
- Using a safety pin attached to one end or a bodkin, thread it through the fabric tube to turn it right side out. This brings the pretty side of your fabric to the outside.
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Insert the Elastic:
- Attach a safety pin to one end of your elastic or hair tie.
- Thread the elastic through the fabric tube. Hold onto the other end of the elastic so it doesn't get lost inside the tube.
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Secure the Elastic Ends:
- Once the elastic is all the way through, overlap the two ends of the elastic by about ½ inch.
- Securely sew the ends together using a sewing machine or hand stitching. You can also tie a knot if using a hair tie or thicker elastic, ensuring it is tight and won't come undone.
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Join the Fabric Ends:
- This step connects the two open ends of your fabric tube to form the scrunchie circle, with the elastic now fully enclosed.
- Turn the fabric RIGHT side out, with elastic encased inside.
- Match the short ends with RIGHT sides of the fabric together. Align the raw edges carefully.
- Sew the ends together with a ¼” seam allowance making sure to keep the elastic band away from the sewing needle. You are sewing the fabric edges here, not the elastic.
- Tuck the seam allowance inside after sewing.
- At this point, your hair tie scrunchie will be formed as a complete loop, with just a small opening remaining where you joined the ends.
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Finish Closing the Gap:
- You have a small opening left from where you connected the fabric ends.
- You can close this gap by hand using a needle and thread with a ladder stitch for a nearly invisible seam, or you can machine stitch very close to the edge of the opening.
Pro Tips for Better Scrunchies
- Fabric Choice: Cotton, satin, velvet, or knit fabrics work well. Consider the stretch and drape you want.
- Elastic Length: Adjust the elastic length based on how tight you want the scrunchie to be in your hair or on your wrist.
- Fabric Width: A wider fabric strip creates a puffier scrunchie, while a narrower strip makes a more delicate one.
- Seam Allowance: Consistent seam allowance helps create a neat tube.
By following these steps, you can easily craft your own collection of fabric scrunchies using elastic or hair ties.
