101 Handmade Days: Braided Fabric Headband

I’m a bit of a scrap fabric hoarder… I just never know when I’m going to need them and I can’t bring myself to part with the rainbow of bits and pieces. Besides, I love coming up with fun and unique ways to use up all the fabric odds and ends! I’ve had some longer strips added to the ever growing pile with all the sewing projects I’ve been doing for these 101 Handmade Days projects and decided to put them to good use as a Braided Fabric Headband!

Not only is this braided fabric headband a great scrap buster, its a quick and fairly easy project too! And gosh darn-it, its danged cute to boot!

Supplies: Fabric Strips, Flat Elastic, Sewing Machine, Thread and Scissors.

You’ll need 3 strips of different colored fabric approximately 2 inches wide and 20 + inches long. They don’t have to be cut perfectly, and if they are too long, they can be trimmed at the end 🙂

Start by folding the ends of the fabric strips in half and layering then on top of each other. Sew a straight line across the folded and layered fabric, 1/2 from the end. Reinforce by sewing across the same line several times.

Use your sewing machines pressure foot to secure the end of the fabric (as shown above) and braid until you’ve got 10 – 12 inches of braided fabric, or until it wraps 2/3’s of the way around your head.

Finish the braid by securing the fabric together with a well reinforced straight line of sewing.

Add your elastic by folding the secured fabric ends around it and sewing several lines of straight stitching to secure it in place.

Optional: Cover the raw edges of fabric and elastic by wrapping additional elastic around the ends, covering the raw edges. Secure in place with 2 lines of straight stitching, top and bottom.

Trim your threads.

Then fix your hair and show off your new Braided Fabric Headband!

I told you it was cute! And its so easy to make, you can have a new hair accessory for any occasion! All you have to do is use different colored fabrics!