How To Make A Scrunchie - Melly Sews

How to sew scrunchies or hair ties with a professional look

Hey y’all, today’s tutorial is a throwback to my childhood – how to sew a scrunchie. My mom always said that fashion was circular, and I’ve started to see the reappearance of things from my younger years, with a modern twist of course. Today’s scrunchies are in rich fabrics like velvet and silk, as well as old standbys like t-shirt knits. The DIY scrunchie method I’m sharing today may take a little more time, but it results in a more professional finish. No visible stitching on these!

I remember these as some of my first sewing projects too. Scrunchies are a great way to use scraps, and scrunchies are a great thing to sell at craft fairs, which means sewing scrunchies can be a side hustle!

And the best part of this scrunchies tutorial is that the method I use to make them also works to make headbands and infinity scarves! The only difference is that for scrunchies you add elastic, and of course for each project you cut the fabric to different sizes.

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Supplies to sew a scrunchie:

• Fabric, 18 in x 4 inches. This bundle (affiliate link) is a good way to get a fun assortment of scrunchie fabric.
• 8 in of 1/4 inch wide elastic (affiliate link) – make this 9 if your hair is really thick
• Needle and thread
• Safety pin
• Optional – tube turner (affiliate link)

Here’s a little video on how to sew a scrunchie. You can also watch the scrunchie sewing tutorial on YouTube here, or you can scroll down for the written instructions.

How to sew scrunchies

1. Fold fabric in half, stitch long edge, leaving gap
2. Turn tube halfway to the right side, match short raw ends
3. Stitch around the short ends of the tube
4. Turn right side out through seam gap
5. Insert elastic
6. Stitch seam gap closed

Time needed: 10 minutes

How to sew a scrunchie

1. Fold fabric in half and sew the long edge, leaving a gap in the seam

   Match the long edges, and make sure your gap is 1 inch or so and closer to one end

2. Turn tube halfway to the right side, match short raw ends

   Make sure to do this so that the gap in the stitching stays on the outside of the tube.

3. Stitch around the short ends of the tube

   Match the seams and the short raw edges. Stitch the raw edges together using the needle and thread; this tube is too small to fit around the sewing machine presser foot.

4. Turn right side out through seam gap

   After stitching the ends together, reach through the gap in the stitching from step 1 and turn the scrunchy right side out – you should have a ring.

5. Insert elastic

   Thread the safety pin or bodkin through one end of the elastic and feed the elastic through the ring/tube. Make sure not to lose the elastic end inside.

6. Stitch seam gap closed

   Overlap the ends of the elastic and stitch them together. Then blind stitch the gap closed and you’re done!