BY ALDONA BIRD
They’re back — scrunchies are trendy yet again. This is great news for those nostalgic for the ‘90s, and those who like to tie their hair back with a soft and comfortable hair tie.
The even better news is that making your own custom scrunchie is an easy do it yourself project. You can pick colors to match outfits and make them narrow or extra wide as a statement accessory.
To make your own scrunchie, you will need:
- fabric
- scissors
- needle or sewing machine
- thread
- elastic or stretchy hair tie
You can use practically any fabric to make a scrunchie. Fabrics that aren’t slippery and don’t unravel a lot are of course easier to work with. Quilting cotton, other natural fiber fabric, velour, and stretch knits all work well.
Cut a strip of fabric, about 22 inches long. The length does not have to be precise – you can make it a little longer or shorter. This is a great way to use up scraps of fabric from other projects.
The width of your fabric depends on how wide you want your finished hair tie to be. Cut the fabric twice as wide, plus a little for seam allowance, as you want the scrunchie to be. Two inches is about the narrowest you should cut, and will produce a slim scrunchie. You can make it much wider, if you want a flashy really retro style.
You can use an elastic or a stretchy hair tie for the inside. If you are sewing this project on a machine a regular elastic may be easier — use about eight inches of elastic.
To sew a scrunchie on a machine fold the fabric with right sides together. Secure the elastic to one end of the fabric rectangle by sewing back and forth a few times. Sew together the long side, but leave the other short side open.
Turn the fabric right side out, holding on to the end of the elastic. Sew the end of the elastic to the other end, to make a loop, making sure not to twist it as you do so. Stitch it in place.
Pull the open end of the fabric over where the elastic overlaps. Tuck the edges in, and stitch across to secure it to finish it off.
If you are sewing by hand using a regular hair elastic is just as easy. Just wrap one end of the fabric around the hair tie, and stitch one corner to the opposite corner on the short edge. You can either continue stitching with the right sides of the fabric together and then turn it right sides out at the end. This can be a little fiddly.
Alternatively you can sew the rectangle together with the right sides out. Keep the side you are working from open, and create the stitch from the inside, so the right sides look neat and tidy.
Carefully sew the shorter ends of the tube together to finish.
Use your handmade scrunchie to tie your hair up in a ponytail or bun, or wear it on your wrist as an accessory when you want your hair loose. These also make cute gifts for all ages.
