How to Sew a Scrunchie

Scrunchies are the ultimate scrap busters and are super simple to make! Making your own scrunchies is a practical way to use up fabric scraps and you get to customize them exactly how you want.

Widen the rectangle for a chunkier scrunchie, lengthen or shorten the elastic depending on your hair thickness. In this tutorial I explain step by step how I make my favorite handmade scrunchies.

My handmade scrunchies are the only ones I wear because I can customize the tightness and they stay better in my hair. Scrunchies made out of linen fabric especially grip better due to the texture and they dry faster if my hair was damp when wearing them.

Check out some of my other tutorials, like How to Make Fabric Tree Ornaments or How To Sew Fabric Pumpkins or How to Make a Needle Book or How To Make a Drawstring Bag for other projects that are great for using up leftover fabric!

This page contains some affiliate links to products and I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links (at no extra cost to you).

some things you’ll need

• Fabric of your choice – I like using cotton or linen for better grip, but rayon or silky fabrics can also be used too!
• Safety pin
• Ruler – This 6″ x 24″ ruler is the perfect size for scrunchie making (shown below)
• Loop turner
• 1/4″ wide elastic
• Coordinating thread

Step 1: Cut Out A Rectangle

Start by cutting out a rectangle 3″ x 22″ (7.6 cm x 55.8 cm) in your chosen fabric. If you want a wider and chunkier scrunchie, experiment by adding an inch or two to the width of the rectangle.

Step 2: Pre-Press

Press the short ends of the rectangle towards the wrong side 1/4″ (0.6 cm). This will serve as a guide when sewing across one end, and will make folding in the other end easier on the last step.

Step 3: Prepare the elastic

Cut a piece of elastic 8″ (20.3 cm) long or you may want to try 9″ (22.8 cm) if you have thicker hair.

Step 4: Sew the Elastic and Long Edge

Fold your fabric in half longways right sides together and press. Make sure the short pre-pressed ends are unfolded and pin the elastic at one end in the middle of the folded fabric.

Sew along the short end where you pinned the elastic with 1/4″ (o.6 cm) seam allowance and backstitch to secure elastic. Then pivot at the corner and continue to sew along the raw unfolded edge with 1/4″ (o.6 cm) seam allowance.

Step 5: Turn Right Side Out

Attach a safety pin to the end of the elastic to help you out when turning the scrunchie tube right side out. You will be turning the enclosed tube right side through the opening at the other short end.

Using a loop turner, insert into the open end of the tube and hook it at the other end. Pulling with the loop turner, guide the scrunchie tube right side out. You can use the safety pin to help guide the elastic out through the open end of the tube so it doesn’t get lost in there.

Step 6: Sew the ends together

Pin the end of the elastic to the other end of the tube to form a circle. Sew in place within the 1/4″ (o.6 cm) seam allowance and backstitch to secure.

Bring the open end of the tube over the end where the elastic was just sewn and line up the seams. Make sure the end is folded where you had pre-pressed earlier and cover the elastic. Sew with coordinating thread to secure the ends together.

Your scrunchie is finished! Now go make some more – it’s hard to just make one!

Thanks for reading and hope this scrunchie tutorial was helpful or gave you some inspiration! Happy sewing 🙂