Sew: DIY No Slip Rockabilly Headscarves

I love headscarves! They’re great for bad hair days, grown out roots and the really add that special something to an outfit. There’s just one problem – I can’t keep them on my head! I’ve tried all sorts things to keep them on. I’ve tried the kind with wires, the kind without, bobby pins, clips and all sorts of styles of scarves. I found limited success with vintage nylon scarves and using snap clips on cotton scarves. But really, it was still a struggle to keep them on. And I know I’m not the only one who can’t make it work! Multiple Facebook post about headscarves revealed that many of you couldn’t make it work either. That is, until now……

I was watching a makeup tutorial on youtube and was thinking about the Velcro backed clips some people use to keep their hair back. And then I remembered seeing a Velcro headband on Pinterest. I knew I had to make a Velcro headscarf and see if it would be the no slip solution. It was and you can easily make your own!

You’ll need 30cm or so of Velcro but you’ll only need the harder hook side, not the soft loop side. It’s best to use Velcro with no adhesive because the adhesive will stick to your needle and gum it up. If you do use sticky Velcro use an old needle that you can discard afterwards.

If you need to make a headscarf, you can use my headscarf pattern to cut out your fabric. Position the Velcro in the centre of the side of the scarf that will go against your hair and pin. Stitch around the Velcro in a box to secure. Continue making the scarf as usual. Simple!

But what if you want to use a cool square scarf? It can be done but it will involve cutting and sewing the scarf, so pick one you that’s not to precious! Start by pressing your scarf flat. Press it in half and mark where you would it to end plus seam allowance. As before, pin the rough side of the velcro to the right side of the scarf. Stitch the velcro down in a box.

To close the open seam, we are going to do a little french seam. With wrong sides together, sew a 1/4″ seam. You should have a seam showing on the outside. Carefully turn the scarf tube inside out. You may want to attach the soft side of the velcro to the hard, sewn on side to protect the scarf from snags and pulls. Now press the seam you made in the step before, right sides together. Now sew a seam just a little bigger than 1/4″ so the raw edges will be enclosed. Turn the tube right side out and press! You may want to store your scarf with the soft velcro covering the hard velcro. The hard velcro can create pulls in silky kinds of fabric and also prevents stuff (cat fur in my world) from getting stuck in the velcro that you’re going to put in your hair.

And the finished product! These stay in my hair all day, no worries! It doesn’t matter if I tie it with the knot on top (rockabilly style) or with the knot at the back of my head (Audrey style), it stays put either way. Such a simple fix but it works perfectly. I hope I’ve solved your headscarf problems forever! If you give this a try, I’d love to see how it works for you.