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Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom by Jamie Sanders

Inspiring you to sew, cook and create.

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Home / Sewing / 120+ Free PDF Sewing Patterns / How to Make a Stretchy Headband (+ video tutorial)

How to Make a Stretchy Headband (+ video tutorial)

120+ Free PDF Sewing Patterns, Girl's Fashion Tutorials, Sewing, sewing with knits, Tutorials, Video Tutorials

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

How to make a Stretchy Headband (+ video tutorial and free template)

This tutorial for How to Make a Stretchy Headband is perfect for those of us trying to keep the hair out of our little one’s faces or just for washing our face!

How to make a headband

How to Make a Stretchy headband

We wear a lot of headbands around here.

My missy has a lot of hair and for whatever reason, her hair is the type that refuses to stay pulled back into her ponytail (prime example, lol.)  Our solution to this issue is headbands!  The bad news is we keep losing all our headbands, the good news is that they are super easy to make!

Our favorite type of headband is the kind made from stretchy fabric.

Headband tutorial

These little headbands are perfect for keeping your hair out of your face for sports, washing your face at night or to use at dinner time.  (Please tell me we are not the only ones who finish dinner with as much food in our hair as is left on the plate, lol.)

How to make a headband

Volleyball just started back up for us, so I decided I needed to replenish our supply of headbands.  (A girl can never have too many headbands, lol!)  The headbands only take a small amount of stretch knit fabric, so they are a great way to use up some of your scrap fabric.  And they are so easy to make, you can whip up several in just a few minutes.

easy headband tutorial

They look great with hair up or down!

How to make a headband

How to Make a Headband: 

how to make a stretchy headband

Materials needed for this Headband Tutorial

  • Scraps of stretchy knit fabric
  • Template
  • Ballpoint/jersey needle
  • iron
  • basic sewing supplies

Tips for sewing with knits:

  • Use a ballpoint/stretch needle
  • Sew seams with either a serger, stretch stitch,  narrow zig zag or a straight stitch with a longer stitch length and a slightly loosened tension. (Make a couple of practice stitches on your fabric to see what works best.) I also like to use this “lightning bolt” stretch stitch on seams that need strength but a little give. (For today’s project I used a combination of straight stitch and zig zag stitch.  I also made several with my serger – see how that looks here.)
  • If you find your fabric keeps getting pulled inside the needle plate, place a small piece of tissue underneath the fabric so the feed dogs have something to grip.  It also helps to move the needle all the way to the right, which forces your fabric over the feed dogs.

Ready to Make a Headband?  

(Scroll down to the bottom for the video tutorial.)

Products used and recommended in this post:

  1. Floral knits on Etsy, another favorite fabric shop for knits:  Funkalicious Fabrics.
  2. My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist, my coverstitch: Janome Cover Pro 1000cpx
  3. My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
  4. Rotary Cutter
  5. I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start off with a smaller Cutting set
  6. Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
  7. Ball Point needles
  8. Singer walking foot or universal walking foot  (helps when sewing on very stretch fabric.)
  9. Cordless iron
  10. Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!)

Headband Sewing Tips:

  • .25 inch seam allowance included
Tips for sewing with knits:
  • Use a ballpoint/stretch needle
  • Sew seams with either a serger, stretch stitch,  narrow zig zag or a straight stitch with a longer stitch length and a slightly loosened tension. (Make a couple of practice stitches on your fabric to see what works best.) I also like to use this “lightning bolt” stretch stitch on seams that need strength but a little give. (For today’s project I used a combination of straight stitch and zig zag stitch.  I also made several with my serger – see how that looks here.)
  • If you find your fabric keeps getting pulled inside the needle plate, place a small piece of tissue underneath the fabric so the feed dogs have something to grip.  It also helps to move the needle all the way to the right, which forces your fabric over the feed dogs.

Materials needed to make the Headband

  • Scraps of stretchy knit fabric
  • Template
  • Ball point/jersey needle
  • iron
  • basic sewing supplies

 

Instructions to Make a Stretchy Headband

Step 1:  Cut out fabric pieces.

Fold fabric in half, with the stretch going side to side.  Line up provided template on fold and cut out fabric.  (Template found under “materials needed”)

free headband pattern

 

headband tutorial

Step 2: Assemble headbands.

Fold fabric in half, right sides together.  Starting 1 inch from the end, sew together using a stretch stitch, serger or long wide zig zag.  Stop sewing about 2 inches from the other end.

how to sew a headband

Trim seam allowance.

how to make a headband

Flip fabric tube right side out.

Line up raw edges of fabric tube, right sides together.

how to make a stretchy headband

Sew, using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, twisting fabric tube as you go.  (See this step in action via the video tutorial below.)

Step 3:  Close opening.

You are left with this small opening.

Pull a bit of the fabric tube back out and with a straight stitch, sew as much of the opening closed as you can.

Either by hand sewing or with the machine, sew the rest of the opening closed.  Trim threads and seal with a bit of fray check if desired.

You are done!

Check out the video below for tips and tricks and to see me make a headband in real-time!


 

how to make a headband

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April 6 · 20 Comments

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Comments

  1. Anne says

    April 7 at 9:28 am

    Great way to use up my knit scraps!! They multiply. 🙂 I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for this afternoon that features your tutorial: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/?p=92410 –Anne

    Reply
  2. Iryna Boehland says

    April 8 at 12:23 pm

    Thank you so much! I have lots of pieces of knit fabrics and will make my daughter happy! Going to my machine.

    Reply
  3. Kieona says

    July 23 at 10:56 pm

    Love It!

    Reply
  4. Carol Frederick says

    November 25 at 10:06 pm

    Is this a standard size for an adult?
    I would like to make some in that size, but also for my 4 year old grand daughter.
    Is it one size fits all?

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      November 26 at 9:32 am

      yes, one size fits all.

      Reply
  5. yesenia says

    January 31 at 1:06 pm

    Need this for boys and girls to attach floppy bunny ears to the top.

    1. Would this work to wear under the chin, instead of to back of neck?

    2. What is the best way to wear this so it covers the ears?

    Reply
    • Jamie says

      January 31 at 1:14 pm

      I have not tried it under the chin but you might try making it a bit wider to cover the ears. We don’t wear our this way, so I cant give any more info.
      good luck, jamie

      Reply
  6. Kris says

    August 24 at 8:59 am

    Thanks, Jamie! I wasn’t a big headband person, but I can see that my littlest grandgirl will love these 🙂

    Reply
  7. Diana says

    August 24 at 11:29 am

    Ohh so glad this popped up today! My girl’s hair is like yours, and very long to her butt… school starts in a week and she’s wrecked her headband! So thanks!! I’ll be making her some next week!

    Reply
  8. Jane Silver says

    September 7 at 11:43 pm

    Would like a pattern how to make a headband for my son who plays football a man’s pattern not a girl’s pattern. Can you help.

    Reply
  9. Falisha says

    April 1 at 7:59 pm

    I was trying to find the video tutorial and it doesn’t show anywhere on here. Am I missing it?? I’ve looked 5 times now

    Reply
    • Jamie Sanders says

      April 2 at 9:51 am

      Thanks for the heads up. Fixed now! Video is at the bottom.

      Reply
  10. Sue Austin says

    April 5 at 5:05 am

    Sorry, but can’t see video at all. Have looked at bottom of instructions and bottom of page… Could you help please?

    Reply
    • Jamie Sanders says

      April 5 at 9:25 am

      It’s at the very bottom, under where it says “Check out the video below for tips and tricks and to see me make a headband in real-time”
      Can you not see it? You do have to press play.

      Reply
  11. Siena says

    April 5 at 9:43 am

    I have checked the browsers I use. The video does not show up in Opera, MS Edge, or Mozilla Firefox. It does show up in my Google Chrome, however.

    Siena

    Reply
    • Jamie Sanders says

      April 5 at 10:32 am

      Ok, I appreciate the feedback. I will get with my host tomorrow and find out what’s up. In the meantime, the video is over on YouTube too. here is the link: https://youtu.be/KUO3PvIHp98

      Reply
  12. Sylvia Keene says

    April 5 at 9:59 am

    I don’t see the check out the video below link I don’t see it anywhere.

    Reply
  13. Deborah Varnado says

    April 5 at 11:19 pm

    I’m confused about the measurement for the template. How long will the headband be once it’s sewn? Will it be 2x the 9 3/16 measurement?

    Reply
  14. MaryAnn says

    May 25 at 10:51 am

    This looks like a great headband and totorial, but I’m unable to print the template, could you just give the measurements for it please? Thanks

    Reply
    • Jamie Sanders says

      May 26 at 12:00 pm

      Sorry, not able to edit the post right now, but the dimensions are 9 3/16 by 5 1/4 (inches)

      Reply

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