I am all about decorating my hair! I have loads of tutorials on the subject; nail polish hair pins, vintage inspired hair pins, bow knot hair bands, no dent hair elastics, fruity and floral headbands, regular tie up headscarves and how to make headscarves non-slip. But lately I’ve been loving the tie headbands I picked up in Kmart. My hair has become quite long and headscarves don’t always sit right and they don’t work at when my hair is down. I am also obsessed with being matchy matchy! So I did what any girl would do, I searched the internet for a tutorial that would perfectly meet my needs. When I didn’t find one, I figured out how to make a tie headband so could share it with you and make matchy headbands to my hearts content!
I love that the headband stays put but still has that headscarf look and if it annoys me, I can take it off without messing up my hair. I am wearing bumper bangs more often now and I feel like they really pop with headband or scarf. And it’s a good way to be thematic. Those old movies where the lining of a bolero matches the dress? Oh yes! I am very much a separates rather than dress girl. It is more versatile but sometimes you can struggle to match a skirt into a pulled together outfit. That’s where a matching headband really comes in handy. These don’t use much fabric and easily fit on the scraps left over from a half circle skirt. They are actually super simple and could be easily hand sewn or even glued if you are handy at that.
The trick is the shaped interfacing inside. It keeps that nice wide, flat, neat shape thing, that I love so much. A fairly heavy interfacing that holds the shape is perfect. I used some bag making left overs but I think a stiff craft felt would work great too. I’ve made up a little template for the interfacing for you. It’s in two pieces, so it will fit on A4. I traced my pattern on to thin carboard (big cereal or soft drink boxes work great) because I plan to make loads! I spotted metal headband blanks in Spotlight but if you plan to make a few, they are very affordable on eBay. I nicked some wire from Mr Asks tool box but anything that’s fairly soft but still posable is perfect. I guess you could skip the wire but I like being able to have big bunny ears or push them down to something more sedate. And you can choose the size of the tie too. I have the measurements I used but I think I’ll make the tie longer next time.
You’ll need:
- Metal headband – 5mm (3/8”)
- Fabric – at least 40cm long & 25cm wide (15” x 10”)
- Firm interfacing or stiff felt – 40cm x 5cm (15” x 2”)
- Soft but posable wire – 25 cm (10”) long
- Ribbon or bias binging – 12 cm
- Adhesive – E6000 or hot glue
- Interfacing template – click here!
What to cut:
- Cut 1 Main body piece – 40cm x 12.5 (15” x 5”) ½” SA
- Cut 1 of the interfacing (or stiff felt) using the interfacing template.
- Cut 2 Tie pieces – 25.5cm x 6.5cm (10” x 2.5”) Add to the length for bigger ties!
- Put the two tie pieces right side together. Fold all the short edges together and cut into a point/curve. It doesn’t need to be perfect but you do want both pieces to be identical, so they match when sewing.
Time to get prepped! Glue the centre of the interfacing to the headband with your chosen glue and set aside to dry. Please don’t judge my messy interfacing, I used to test adhesives and it looks ratty. Use wire cutters (or very old scissors you don’t care about) to cut a 10cm (4”) length of wire. Use pliers to curve the ends into a loop to prevent it poking through the fabric or scratching your hand.
Sew it up! Fold the main piece in half lengthways (hotdog style) so that right sides are touching. Pin if desired. With a straight stitch, sew along the long edge, backstitching at beginning and end. Use a scant 3cm (½”) seam allowance for all pieces. This will need to slip over the headband & interfacing but fit firmly. So make sure you leave enough room! For the ties, lay the two shaped strips right side together, pin if you wish. Sew all the way around but leaving a turning gap in the centre of one of the long sides.
Trim, Turn and Press! Trim down the seam allowances on both pieces and turn right side out. Poke out the corners and points of the tie piece, so things are sitting nicely. Press the tie piece flat, being sure to tuck in the seam allowance of the turning gap. We won’t be sewing the gap closed, as it will be hidden. Arrange the main piece so that the seam is centred on one side and press.
Pull it together! Slide the main piece over the headband & interfacing, making sure the seam is on the underside. Go slowly and gently. Once it is on and centred you may want to temporarily secure the ends with a clip or pin (through the interfacing). Fit the wire inside the tie piece (through the turning gap) and tie it with a knot to the headband, where the interfacing dips in. Make sure the main piece is still in place.
Finishing touches! On each side of the headband ends, fold in the fabric around the interfacing. You can give this a quick press if you’d like the fold to look sharp. Cut a small piece of ribbon or bias binding, long enough to wrap around the ends and cover the raw edges. You may want to run the cut edges of the ribbon along a flame, or use fray check, to seal it and prevent fraying. Glue into place and allow to dry. Then put that in your hair and wear with flair!
This has been such a fun project! I just haven’t been feeling the sewing vibe lately. My machine broke, life was hectic and my mental state was pretty crappy. I just couldn’t face sewing. But I had a Spotlight gift card and I needed to make a skirt from this gorgeous cotton linen leaf print fabric I found there. I was dreaming of a matching headband and my earring and brooch set from Miss Golly Gosh. It was so right, I got myself together and got to making it! Nothing motivates better than a serious case of the wanty needies! The final result was even better than I imagined and I’m in love! The skirt is my usual half circle skirt (but now in the longer length) if you fancy your own and my tee is from Hell Bunny. This weekend I will be hunting the sewing room for scraps of skirts past, so I can make more matching headbands! They are lovely ‘instant gratification’ sew that should keep my sewing spirits from flagging. Will you be making one this weekend?
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