It's that time of year again when gifts for Christmas are at the forefront of everyone's minds.
If you need some quick ways to make some little gifts then scrunchies are perfect.
They take very little fabric and are relatively quick to make once you know what you're doing.
Below, in pictures is a step-by-step process of making a scrunchie, hopefully, I've managed to photograph things clearly. This tutorial is aimed at beginner-level sewing so if something isn't clear please don't hesitate to ask. The video is still to come.
You will need:
Scissors
Safety pin
Piece of paper at least 50cm x 8cm
Piece of fabric at least 50cmx8cm
17cm piece of 10mm elastic
Tailor's chalk (optional)
Step one: draw your pattern. Measure out a rectangle of 50cm x 8cm. Any paper will do, it doesn't need to be fancy. Newspaper, junk mail, just something to give you your basic pattern shape.
Step two:
Find a piece of fabric, you can use any type of woven fabric. I've used cotton, chiffon, satin, and corduroy in this pattern.
For the purpose of this tutorial, I've used linen.
Lay the pattern out on your fabric following the grain.
Step three:
Pin the pattern to the fabric, and cut around the pattern.
View A
View B
Step four:
Fold/pin cut out a piece of fabric in half lengthwise. I have used the tailors chalk here to mark the sewing line for tutorial purposes, you can choose to mark your sewing line or not.
Leave a 7 cm area unsewn at each end.
Step five:
Sew along where the chalk line is marked, making sure the edges are matching.
Remember to leave the ends unsewn.
Step Six:
The next step is to turn the fabric in the right way so the seam is hidden inside. Grab your safety pin and pin it to one end. Gently turn it inside. See pic one.
Next, use the safety pin to gently pull the fabric through so it turns in the right way. Once done remove the safety pin.
Step Seven:
Once you have turned the tube of fabric in the right way, it's time to thread the elastic through.
Grab your safety pin and the 17cm piece of elastic, fold the end of the elastic over to stop it from fraying, and push the safety pin through the elastic as per picture one. Then thread the elastic through the middle as per picture two.
Step eight:
These next few steps can be a little fiddly. You will have to twist the elastic and fabric around to get things sitting right.
Sew the elastic together to make a closed loop. You will be left with the two 7cm ends sticking out.
Step nine:
Sew the loose ends together. This part was really hard to photograph, so I hope I've managed to get a shot that's clear enough. You have to twist the two loose ends together so the right sides are facing each other.
Step ten:
Turn the seam as sewn above back in the right way. Fold the seam so it's all facing one way, and pin the tops over. Then meet the pins together at the seams.
Step eleven:
Pull out flat and allow the fabric to fold in, do this on both sides.
Step twelve:
Sew around the outside starting at the seam, and finishing back where you started. Make sure openings match at the seams.
Step thirteen:
Give it a quick iron and you're done!
If you made it this far well done! Once you have made one you will find the next ones a whole lot easier to make.
Beginners tip:
Start with a fabric that is easy to handle like cotton, cotton poplins, and linens.