Knotted Headband

I’ve heard this myth about curly hair that you can sleep on it and it will still look fine the next day. Well, maybe I’m just not special, because I can frighten small mammals with my bed head in the morning.

There are just some days you’re not feeling like dealing with your hair. If you have long hair, you can pull it back with a ponytail, but what if you have short hair?

Headband to the rescue!

Start by marking out a rectangle about 18 inches wide by 2-3 inches high, depending on how wide you want your headband to be and how large your design is. Mark the center where your design will go and hoop up your fabric with some stabilizer. I’d make the stabilizer the same length as your fabric, to help hide the edges under the fabric when we’re done. Stitch away!

After your design has sewn, snip out your rectangle of fabric, leaving a little extra around the edges for the seam.

In order for your headband to fit the curve of your head nicely, you’ll want to trim the edges down at an angle, tapering it so the ends are only an inch or two wide.

How wide you make your headband may depend on a lot of things. Wide headbands work great with thicker, curly hair, because it has something to push back against and it keeps wayward strands under control. If you have straight or fine hair, a thinner band will stay on your head better. Trim accordingly.

Fold and press the seams under to finish the edges. I folded them under twice to keep the seam cleaner and make sure my hair won’t catch any raw edges. Pin the sides in place, and sew a thin seam down both sides. Don’t bother with the edges right now, we’ll deal with them next.

You might notice our 18 inch headband probably isn’t long enough to tie around your head (unless perhaps you have a really small head). This is intentional. Along with elastic, we’re going to add some ties to the back to make it stay on nice and securely. 

Start by folding over two pieces of fabric, and cutting out somewhat of a raindrop shape. You’ll want the non-pointed end to be about as wide as the ends of your headband. These shapes make your headband nice and easy to tie. When you’ve cut them out, you should have two shapes with two layers of fabric, and right sides facing together.

Take one of your ties (with the two layers together), and sew a seam around the edges, leaving the end open for turning.

Turn your tie right side out again and press it flat. Do this with both ties.

Sew a seam around the edges again to finish your ties and make them match the rest of your headband. You should now have two finished tie pieces, ready to attach to your headband.

Now it’s time to put it all together! Here’s what we’re going to do:

First, cut a piece of elastic about two inches long. You can measure the headband on your head to see what width you’ll need.

Take one raw edge of your embroidered headband, and fold it under. Next, place the raw edge of one of your ties under that, and finally, put one edge of your elastic under the edge. The elastic will be there to help hold your headband on, but it will be covered with the tie so it looks seamless.

Pin these layers in place.

Now sew a finishing seam across the edge of your headband, stitching on the tie and securing one edge of your elastic in place. I’d stitch over this seam twice since it’ll get a lot of wear and tear as you put your headband on and off.

To finish the other side, take the other end of your elastic (one side of which should now be stitched to your headband) and place it under the folded edge of the other side. Place your second tie on top of that, in the same order as last time, so the elastic is hidden under the tie.

Pin these layers in place.

Double stitch this final seam in place! Be sure to keep an eye on your elastic and make sure you’re securely catching the edge of it.

That’s it! Your headband is done. Take a second to admire not only your handiwork but also the fantastic stitching on your new hairpiece. I bet you won’t find this headband in stores...

Use the stretchy elastic to slip the headband over your head and use the ties to secure it in place. Now my mass of curls is safely tucked back and far less frightening. Trust me, with short curly hair, you use a lot of headbands. You might as well make one you like.

Even straight hair can rock the headband style. The deep red and skully look was totally Danielle’s style, so she did some modeling for me. A big bold headband on straight hair can make a real statement with an outfit!

A subtle sheen and some light stitching skullies allow this to be elegant and tough all at the same time.

So, even if you’re not having your greatest hair day, that’s no reason not to rock your personal style. Make a whole bunch to cover any occasion! I know I could use a few more unless I want to keep scaring my coworkers in the morning...