Elastic Headband

I needed a headband this week, as I’ve got a new hobby - beekeeping! With my bee suit on and leaning over a hive my hair constantly flops into my eyes, so I wanted to make a quick headband. I tried headscarves but they tended to slip off, or I tied my hair up in them, so I made an extendible elastic one.

This stays on my head, and you can wear it as a thin band, or a wider scarf covering most of your head. Or as a mask, as required.

This is so quick and easy, it only needs a few scraps of fabric, and some flat elastic. I made one out of scraps left over from my sari tunic, and it was so easy, I think I’ll probably make a matching headband for all future summer tops.

Cut a rectangle for the back of the headband.

I cut one of 12 by 2 inches.

Fold the rectangle in half lengthways, with the right sides together.

Sew the open edges together down the long side to form a tube, then turn the tube right way round and press it flat.

Cut a length of flat elastic.

I have used 1 inch wide elastic and cut 6 inches (you will be able to make this smaller later).

Feed the elastic through the fabric tube, and scrunch the fabric up in the middle.

Cut your fabric for the main headband. I had a rectangle which I cut down to 17.5 by 10 inches.

Hem the two long sides of the rectangle .

Pleat each of the shorted ends of the rectangle, and give them a light press to hold the folds in place.

Secure the folds with a pin or a few stitches.

Fold the raw fabric at the end of the fabric tube back inside the tube, and press it.

Push one of the pleated ends of the main fabric into the end of the tube, and arrange it so that the end of the elastic is covered by both the tube and the end of the headscarf.

Pin the layers together and repeat for the other side of the tube.

At this point you can try on your headband, and shorten the elastic if needed to make sure it fits snugly.

Sew through the layers of fabric and elastic at both ends of the elastic.

Make sure that your stitches catch the elastic fully, and ideally use two rows of stitching, to make sure it is strong.

The headband is complete!