Here you can learn how to hand-sew your very own scrunchie!

Step 1: Collect Your Materials...

Materials:
fabric of your choice
Thread (matching to the main colour of your fabric)
Iron and ironing board (optional)
⅜ inch-wide elastic
Needle
Sewing pins
Safety pins
Fabric scissors (regular scissors okay)
Seam ripper (optional)
Ruler
Pen

Step 2: Iron the Fabric (optional)

Iron out your fabric so there are little to no wrinkles.

Step 3: Mark Your Measurements...

Measure a strip of fabric 3.00” x 18.00”. As you do so, mark with a pen along the length and width so you can cut a straight line.

Step 4: Cut Your Fabric...

Cut your fabric into the 3.00” x 18.00” rectangular strip. Depending on how ruffly you want your scrunchie, you can increase or decrease the length of the rectangle. Increasing the length will increase the amount of ruffles, and decreasing the length will decrease the amount of ruffles in your scrunchie. For a wider scrunchie, increase the width of the rectangle. Try to keep your edges as straight as possible.

Step 5: Fold Your Fabric...

Fold your fabric in half along the length. Make sure that the “faded” side of the fabric is the part being folded over.

Step 6: Pin the Open Edges...

Pin the open edges starting from the center. Then pin each far end, and fill in the rest. Keep the pins facing the same direction.

Step 7: Cut Your Thread...

Cut a piece of thread 3x the length of the fabric (54 inches)

Step 8: Thread Your Needle...

Thread your needle. Stick one end of the thread through the eye of the needle (the hole at the top of the needle) and keep stringing until the needle is in the middle of the thread. Tie a knot at the top to connect the open ends of the string.

Step 9: Begin Sewing...

Begin sewing your folded rectangle 3-4 inches from the first end. To sew with a needle and thread, insert the needle through the back of the scrunchie, and pull all the way through until the needle can’t go any further. Do the same thing, except from the front, stitching through the fabric to the back. Continue weaving “up and down” throughout the length of the fabric. Finish another 3-4 inches before you reach the other open end. Once you’ve finished stitching, tie off the thread in a knot. Make your knot as close as possible to the fabric, so the stitches don’t loosen. Cut off the excess thread. Your seam allowance (the space space between the edge of the fabric and where you’re stitching) should be ½ inch. Make sure to keep your stitches close together, straight, and evenly spaced! Take out the pins as you sew.

Step 10: Pull Your Tube Through Itself...

Pull the tube through itself using a safety pin. Attach the safety pin to one of the open ends of the tube you’ve just made. The fabric will ruffle up as you do this, so hold on to the unseen edges and straighten it out as best as possible. Remove your safety pin as you finish this step. By pulling the tube through itself, it’ll make the vibrant side of the fabric show through, and hides the seams.

Step 11: Match Up the Short Ends of the Tube...

Match up the short ends of the tube and sew them together, following the stitching advice given in Step 6. Here is where you can utilize the seam ripper, ripping seams on the fabric made in Step 6 if you need space for this step.

Step 12: Cut a Piece of Elastic...

Cut a piece of elastic 13 inches long.

Step 13: Thread the Elastic Through...

Before you do so, pull on the inside part of the tube to show the right side of the scrunchie. Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic, and string the elastic through the tube. As you pull the elastic through, scrunch up the fabric to the level of your preference. Once you’ve finished threading the elastic, leave a tail end out of each side of the tube.