This quick-to-make bow scrunchie is the perfect sewing project for using up fabric scraps or up-cycling a favourite garment that’s on it’s last legs. You could rock a different one every day of the week or make one to match all your favourite outfits. This DIY bow scrunchie also makes the perfect present – you could give them as holiday gifts for your entire class, make matching ones for your #girlsquad bachelourette party or use them as stocking fillers!

Materials & Equipment:

Download and print my free bow template (or grab a piece of A4 paper and make your own)

Fabric (approx 45 cm by 30 cm)

A length of strong, slim elastic (around 25cm will be plenty)

Matching cotton thread

Sewing machine

Needle (for hand sewing)

Fabric scissors / pinking shears

Ruler or tape measure

Washable fabric pen or tailor’s chalk

Pins

A knitting needle (or similar long and pointy tool)

Iron

Step 1: Iron your fabric and cut out a rectangle 40 cm x 7 cm. Lay it in front of you with the wrong side (WS) facing up. Fold one of the short edges over by 2cm and press flat, then turn over the fabric so the  right side (RS) is now facing up.

Step 2: Fold the rectangle of fabric in half horizontally – the RS of the fabric should be facing each other and the long edges will meet at the top. Pin in place and iron flat. Sew along the long open edge of the fabric, leaving a 1cm seam allowance. Remember to remove any pins one by one before the needle reaches them! Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam to secure the thread. You should now have a neat tube of fabric.

Step 4: Here’s where the knitting needle comes in handy! You need to turn the fabric tube you’ve just created inside out and press once more.

Step 5: Now take your elastic and tie it to the end of your knitting needle then use it to thread the elastic through the tube of fabric. Carefully pull the elastic until it’s the size you want (you can use an existing hair band to help judge when the size is right). Tie the elastic securely using a couple of double knots and trim the ends.

Step 6: Nearly there! Overlap the ends of the fabric by a good couple of centimetres, with the folded edge on top. Using your needle and thread, secure the layers of fabric in place with a few neat stitches.

To make the bow…

To save you time I have made a free template (click here to grab it). Simply download and print onto A4 paper, remembering to set the print scale to 100%.

Step 1: To cut out the fabric for your bow, fold your fabric in half and place the pattern pice on top with the top edge along the fold. Pin the pattern in place and then cut out the fabric – you need to do this twice so that you have two identical pieces of fabric which open out to look like this…

Step 2: Place the pattern pieces together with the right sides facing then pin around the outside. I like to give the fabric a little press with the iron at this point.

Step 3: Sew around the outside of the fabric leaving a 1.5 cm seam allowance. Leave a gap of about 4 cm in the middle of the bow on one edge. Trim the seam allowance down to around 1 cm everywhere except the part where you left the gap (pinking shears are perfect for this).

Step 4: Use the gap you left to turn the bow the right way round. To close up the gap just fold the raw edges inwards, press and then sew closed using your sewing machine.

Step 5: To complete your scrunchie simply tie your bow in a single knot around your scrunchie so that it covers the seam. Tie up your hair in a pony tail or bun and you’re good to go!