Scrunchies, you remember them yes? Well I’m bringing scrunchies back. Not really although I was asked recently to make some for our sporting club. By some I mean thirty. They’ve been gone so long that I thought maybe some of you would actually like a refresher on how to make a scrunchie in case you find yourself needing to.
I cut out thirty rectangles from some spots and stars cotton fabric from Spotlight.
The rectangles I cut out measured 35 cms long by 10 cms.
The easiest way to sew a bulk lot of scrunchies is by using some quilting techniques like chain piecing them. I ran one side of each rectangle through the overlocker to finish off the edges so that they don’t fray. It’s much faster to do them this way and it keeps them all in line to feed back through the overlocker to do the other side too.
With right sides together and matching the longer edges sew a straight seam to join the two sides together making sure you are on the inside of the overlocker stitching so it isn’t visible when you turn them right sides out.
To turn your now tube right sides out the easiest way is to use a bodkin which is this handy tool pictured above. They are also great for threading elastic and should be available at your local sewing or craft shop otherwise you can always use a safety pin to help you.
Next cut a piece of thin elastic 22 cms long and place your bodkin or safety pin at one end and a pin sideways across the elastic on the other end so that when you thread the elastic through your tube the end stays out of your tube to enable you to sew the elastic together.
Pin the elastic ends together with a 3 cm cross over.
Then sew them together on the sewing machine firmly making sure to not catch your fabric in your stitching. I like to use the number 9 stitch on my Pfaff sewing machine which is a stitched zig zag to add extra reinforcement.
Fold under the overlocked edge on one end of your tube and then cover the other end of your tube with it (insert one end of the tube inside the other).
Then straight stitch along the edge so that you have a nice neat join on both sides.
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Ta da! You have a scrunchie or even 30. They make a great gift if made in the colours of your or your kids sports club.
Did you wear scruchies? Do your kids wear them? I think they look fun when made in nice fabric with a pattern to it.
You better get sewing some as you know what they say – everything old is new again!
