Today I’m showing you how to make DIY scrunchies with hair ties (also known as ponytail holders). This tutorial includes an optional “bunny ear” bow too. Download my free sewing pattern here.
I’ve researched a LOT of scrunchie tutorials, but there aren’t many methods for hair tie scrunchies. So I sat down and brainstormed my own way. I definitely think this is the easiest.
You only need to do 2 lines of stitching. That’s it!
You don’t need to turn anything inside out. You don’t need to close a hole at the end. I’m excited to share this!
This method will also work with elastic bands (although I recommend hair ties because they’re less likely to snap). If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can use hand sewing or a hot glue gun for a no-sew method. The steps are still the same.
Note: I recommend this method for easy-to-sew fabrics like cotton or linen. It involves topstitching, so it doesn’t suit silk. For trickier materials, use this seamless scrunchie method instead for a neat finish.
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Video sewing tutorial
Note: I keep saying in the video that this method only uses 1 line of stitching. Sorry, that’s a mistake. I meant 2 lines. Whoops!
What materials you need for hair tie scrunchies
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- A hair tie (Amazon link). These are also known as ponytail holders.
- Cotton fabric. 1/2 yard or metre is plenty. Other fabric types are OK too, as long as they’re easy to topstitch. For example, silk is not ideal. Check out fabric.com (USA) and Minerva Crafts (UK) for cute fabric. They have some of the biggest fabric ranges on the web!
- An iron.
- Matching thread. I used ‘sew-all’ polyester thread by Gutermann (Amazon link). It’s strong and lint-free.
- Fabric scissors to cut the fabric. I use and recommend the soft-grip ones from Fiskars (Amazon link). Or use a rotary cutter and mat. I use a Fiskars rotary cutter (Amazon).
- The right sewing machine needles. For light to medium weight non-stretch fabric, you’ll need a universal needle in size 80/12 (Amazon link).
- Measuring tape (Amazon) to measure the right length of fabric. Or just use a normal straight ruler.
Free PDF scrunchie sewing pattern
I like using a template because I don’t have to mark the fabric and my cutting is straighter.
You can download the template I used from my resource library.
Otherwise, the scrunchie measurement is 21 1/2″ (width) x 3″ (height). I also experimented with 5″ height for a really big scrunchie.
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How to make a scrunchie with hair ties (step-by-step):
1. Cut your fabric
Cut out your scrunchie using the printable template (download it here).
Or use these cutting measurements: 21 1/2″ x 3″ (54.5cm x 7.5cm).
For a big scrunchie, try a height of 4″ or 5″ / 10cm or 13cm.
2. Fold the top & bottom edges by 1/2″ / 1.3cm
Fold the top edge by 1/2″ / 1.3cm.
The raw edge should be facing the “ugly” side of the fabric, not the “nice” side. If both sides look the same, then it doesn’t matter.
Iron the fold in place.
Repeat this for the bottom edge.
Iron the fold in place.
3. Sew the short ends together to create a tube
Unfold the edges you just ironed. Place the short ends together, with the “nice” sides of the fabric facing each other. Pin them together (optional).
Sew the short sides with a 1/4″ / 0.6cm seam allowance.
(A ‘seam allowance’ is the distance between the fabric edge and stitching line).
Backstitch at the beginning and end so your stitching doesn’t unravel.
(A ‘backstitch’ is when you sew forwards by 3-5 stitches and then sew backward by 3-5 stitches. This locks the stitching).
Your fabric will now be a tube.
Suggested sewing machine settings:
- Straight stitch
- Stitch length: 2.5
- Tension: 4
4. Place a hair tie over the fabric
Carefully bunch the tube together. Make sure the tube doesn’t twist.
Place your hair tie over it, roughly in the middle.
5. Pin the folded edges together
Match up the folded edges, so the hair tie is inside the fabric. If this looks confusing to you, scroll up to watch the video tutorial.
(Optional) Use pins to hold the fabric in place.
Here’s what it looks like with pins all the way around. The hair tie is hidden inside the scrunchie.
6. Sew the open edge closed
Sew all the way around the open edge. Try to sew as close to the edge as you can.
Backstitch at the beginning and end so your stitching doesn’t unravel.
Suggested sewing machine settings:
- Straight stitch
- Stitch length: 2.5
- Tension: 4
Congratulations, you’re done! Here’s what the finished scrunchie will look like.
How to make bunny ear bows for a scrunchie (step-by-step):
1. Cut your fabric
Cut out your scrunchie bow using this printable template (download the pattern here).
If you don’t have access to a printer, here are the measurements so you can draw your own: it’s 11 6/8″ (30cm) wide, 2 6/8″ (7cm) tall in the middle, and almost 4″ (10cm) tall at the highest point.
2. Fold the bow in half, sew it & leave a gap in the middle
Fold the bow in half (along the width).
Sew along the open edge, leaving a 1″ gap (2.5cm) in the middle (where the straight part is). Sew with a 1/4″ (0.6cm) seam allowance.
Suggested sewing machine settings:
- Straight stitch
- Stitch length: 2.5
- Tension: 4
Trim the seam allowance down, except for the unsewn part in the middle.
3. Turn the bow inside out
Turn the bow inside out using the hole in the middle. Use a blunt pencil to push the corners out properly.
4. sew the hole closed
Sew the hole closed. Try to sew close to the edge. Backstitch at the beginning and end to stop the stitching from unraveling.
This stitching will be hidden when we tie the bow onto the scrunchie.
Suggested sewing machine settings:
- Straight stitch
- Stitch length: 2.5
- Tension: 4
5. Tie the bow onto the scrunchie
Tie the bow onto the scrunchie and knot it once.
Tweak the bow so it looks nice. Make sure the “ears” are even on both sides.
You’re done! Here’s what the scrunchies will look like with bunny ear bows.
Note: this post was originally published on 30 September 2020. It has since been updated.
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