Keep your kiddos' ears warm and cozy this winter with a personalized fleece headband. It's simple, inexpensive, and completely customizable.

Step 1: Pick Your Fleece

Decide your fleece colors. It's best to use a solid color for the center section where the name is stitched, so the name shows well.

Step 2: Stitch the Name

Use your embroidery machine to stitch the name, leaving enough space around the name for trimming.

Step 3: Cut the Strips

The solid-colored pieces are 2" wide, and the coordinating backside pieces are 4 1/2" wide. Both parts are about 23" long, but that will vary slightly depending upon what size head you're trying to fit.

When you cut your fleece, test the fabric to see if it stretches more one way over the other. Ideally, you'd like to have the stretchy direction going around the head. This isn't always possible if the print isn't going in the direction you want.

Step 4: Align First Edge

Next, I lined up the two parts of fleece, with the "right" sides together. With fleece, it's sometimes difficult to determine the right side. My philosophy is that if I can't tell when I'm trying really heard, it's not likely anyone else will be able to tell either. Of course, it is important for the piece with the name.

Step 5: Stitch Along Edge

I stitched the edges that were aligned, leaving only about a 1/4" seam.

Step 6: Align Other Side

Next, I aligned the other sides. Since the one piece of fabric is wider, there will be a fold in the wider piece in order to correctly line up the open sides.

Step 7: Turn Right-Side-Out

Next, I turned the piece of fabric right side out.

Step 8: Lay Flat

I laid the piece flat to align the edges.

Step 9: Fold

Next, I folded the piece in half and aligned the raw ends, making sure the name would be centered on the finished item.

Step 10: Stitch End

I used pins to hold everything where I wanted it, so that the seam lines wouldn't slip out of place.

I sewed the end. Mine needed to be about 22" around to fit the students in my son's class.

Step 11: Trim End

After stitching, I used pinking shears to trim the excess. Since fleece doesn't fray, this was all the finishing I did. Plus, it will be on the inside where it isn't seen when worn.

For more information or more of my tutorials, visit childmadetutorials.blogspot.com