Scrappy Ruffle Headband Tutorial

I love fold over elastic. Love it. I ordered a few colors several months ago (Etsy is the place to look for loads of sellers with great color combos.)


*And I’ve tried to make myself underwear using the fold over elastic at the edges. But it has NOT turned out well. So I’ve been saving the elastic for some other projects.*



I decided to make these headbands for one of my younger cousins. They used up some long, skinny scraps of fabric. (The pink is my favorite. I sort of wanted to keep it but felt it was too young-ish for me.)


I started with two scraps of fabric, both 16” long, one scrap was 1” wide and the other was 1.5” wide.
 

\
I cut a 17” piece of fold over elastic. The headbands fit me snugly, so I figured they would fit my nine year-old cousin.


First, I zig zagged the raw edges.


Then, I gathered the strips.


Adjusting the strips so they were the same length, I pinned each one to the shiny side of the fold over elastic. I centered the strips on the elastic, but you could position them off to the side if you wanted.

I used a stretch stitch to sew the gathered ruffle pieces to the elastic. (If you are not sure what a stretch stitch is, see this explanation and how-to of a stretch stitch.)



When you’ve attached the ruffles, join the ends of the elastic together with some stitching and the headband is complete.



I seriously love these headbands. Usually I’m not big on raw edges, but I like the way these turned out. They look “intentionally raw”.

 




Places I have linked:
Or So She Says, Train to Crazy, Tater tots & Jello,  Merry Messy Life, Sugar Bee Crafts, Reasons to Skip the Housework,  The 36th Avenue, House of Hepworths, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely, 504 Main,Serenity Now,  Fingerprints on the Fridge, I heart NapTime, Classy Clutter, A Glimpse Inside, Somewhat Simple, Gingerly Made, Serenity Now, Today's Creative Blog, The Winthrop Chronicles, Home Stories A to Z