How to Make a Scrunchie

Learning how to make a scrunchie is a simple sewing project that’s easy to personalize and fun to wear.

During the summer, I always want my hair up and out of my face, but ponytails can sometimes get boring. Hair scrunchies are a fashionable way to mix up your everyday hairstyle. During the 80s and 90s, scrunchies were popular hair accessories, and today they are making a comeback! You can wear them anywhere – from the beach to the supermarket, and they make wonderful gifts!

Since they only take 15 minutes to sew, you can make several to match with different outfits. In addition to being easy to personalize, scrunchies are also a great way to use up all the scrap fabric you can’t bear to throw out. Personally, I hate throwing away fabric, so I love making scrunchies!

What is a Scrunchie Made of?

Hair scrunchies are made with only 2 things – fabric and elastic! Because of this, they are super cheap and easy to make. While you could go out and buy 1/8 yard of fabric, you probably have several scraps lying around your house that are perfect for this project. Or even if you don’t have fabric scraps, you can always use a t-shirt or skirt. All you need to buy is elastic!

What kind of Fabric can you use for Scrunchies?

When learning how to make a scrunchie, you can use almost any type of lightweight fabric. Just make sure that whatever type you choose is not super stiff so that your scrunchie will actually “scrunch” when you put the elastic through. Some common fabrics for scrunchies include cotton, velvet, silk, satin, flannel, or jersey knits. Depending on which material you use, adjust the needle of your sewing machine accordingly.

Tools you will need

To make these scrunchies, you will need a

• Sewing machine
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Wooden dowel or turning tool
• Needle and pins
• Safety pin

Materials you will need

To make these hair scrunchies, you will need

• 1/8 yard of fabric (I made mine with cotton, but you could use other types as well. Velvet, flannel, satin, or silk are all great options.)
• 8 inches of 1/4″ wide elastic
• Matching thread

How to Sew a Hair Scrunchie

*All seams are 1/4″.

First, you need to cut out your fabric. Cut one piece of fabric 3″ by 18″. If you would like to add a bow to your scrunchie, cut out another piece of fabric 3″ by 8″. Feel free to play with dimensions if you want to change the size of your scrunchie. I would recommend staying between 2″-4″ for the width and 12″-22″ for the length, but it’s up to you.

Next, fold the 18″ piece of fabric in half lengthwise with the right sides together, and iron it flat. Insert pins down along the middle of the fabric to hold it in place.

Starting at the top of one end, sew along the edges, leaving the other end open. When you’re finished, it should look like this:

After this, use the dowel to turn the scrunchie inside out. To do this, take the end of the scrunchie that is sewn closed and press the dowel into the seam. Without poking a hole in the fabric, push the dowel up and pull the fabric down around it. Keep doing this until the whole scrunchie is turned inside out, then remove the dowel.

Cut the top of the scrunchie off where it is sewn shut. Next, attach a safety pin to the end of the piece of elastic. Thread the elastic through the scrunchie, making sure to hold onto the other end of the elastic so it doesn’t go through the scrunchie. You can pin the end of the elastic to the scrunchie to make sure it stays if you like.

Once you’ve pulled the elastic all the way through, remove the safety pin and stitch both ends of the elastic together. I used an overcasting stitch to make sure it stays, but you could also sew a square.

Once you’ve sewn the ends of the elastic together, it’s time to close the scrunchie. To do this, fold the raw ends of one end of the scrunchie to the inside. Tuck the raw edges of the other end into the folded ends. Hand sew the ends together using a whip stitch. Make sure to use thread that matches your fabric!

You can stop here, or if you like add a bow to your scrunchie. Either way, it will be cute!

If you want to add the bow, fold the 12″ long piece of fabric in half lengthwise with right sides together and iron. You can also insert pins along the middle to hold the fabric together.

Beginning at one end, first, sew a diagonal line from the corner of the fabric to the bottom. Make sure to start at a corner on the fold. Then sew along the bottom edge, stopping about 1/2″ away from the center of the tie. Repeat for the other side. Trim away the excess fabric along the edge of the diagonal line you sewed. It should look like this:

Using the same process as before, turn the bow inside out. You’ll have to turn each side inside out individually, pushing it through the hole in the middle of the tie. Press with an iron, folding the raw edges of the fabric at the hole to the inside. You can either machine sew or hand sew this closed.

Tie the bow around the scrunchie where you hand sewed it closed, and you’re finished!

Did you enjoy this project?

If so, check out other simple sewing projects at the Craft Corner!

How did your scrunchies turn out? Let me know in the comments section below!