Operation Summer Hair Rescue Part 1 - How To Make Scrunchies

Since we are on the groove of simple sewing projects,

I thought we'd do a couple more. Remember these?

Such a rage in the 80s and 90s. So easy to make and

so many possibilities for variations. Each time a friend

picked up sewing as a new hobby, these were one of

their very first projects. And now that summer is finally

(and vengefully) upon us, I find I am reaching for my

old ones (I haven't made any new ones since I was in my

early twenties!) and leaving them all over the house

as the children pull them off my hair.

Perhaps it is because everyone knows how to make

them that I haven't been seeing tutorials for these on

blogs. I see a lot of hair clip and hair band tutorials,

though, but not many on scrunchies. Then the crazy

thought occurred to me that maybe people don't make

them much nowadays, or (shudder) they've gone out of

fashion and I'm the only one on the planet

that didn't get that memo.

So in the off-chance that maybe there are some folks

out there who haven't made these, and who might

want to, here's a tutorial!

Here's what you need:

• Scrap fabric 16" x 4"
• Elastic 7" long - I used the 3/8" kind
• Safety pin
• Sewing machine and thread

Step 1

• Fold fabric in half lengthwise, right sides facing.
• Using a 1/2" seam allowance, sew along the cut edge, leaving 2" at each end unsewn, to make a tube. Remember to backstitch!

Step 2

• Turn tube right side out and spread out the ends.

Step 3

• Fold one end up to meet the other

• pin the ends together, right sides facing and sew a 1/2" seam. Remember to backstitch!

You will now have made a loop of

fabric like a deflated donut.

Step 4

• Pull on the rest of the loop to pop the seam inside.

Step 5

• Using the safety pin, thread the elastic through the opening and all around the loop.

• Overlap 1/2" of each end (i.e. using up a total of 1" of elastic).
• Stitch the ends of the elastic together.

Step 6

• Fold in the seam allowance of the opening and topstitch the opening shut. Try to sew as close to the edge as possible.

Done!

Make a ponytail!

Here's another way of making it if you

don't want the topstitched opening.

Variations:

This is one way to class it up a little:

Use two strips of fabric 16" x 2.5" each and sew them

together with piping.Then begin with Step 1

to make the scrunchie as usual.

The piping and coordinating fabrics add something to it, no?

Here's a child-sized one for littler ponytails.

They turn out smaller than the adult one on the left.

Use a piece of fabric 12" x 3" and

elastic 5.5" long and 1/4" or 1/8" wide.

Tune in next time for Operation Summer Hair Rescue Part 2 -

another very fun hair accessory from my bizarre past

(no, neither hair band nor hair clip-

I could never get those to tame my hair).