Headband Pattern Maker
A headband with a fabric front and an elastic back is sized from your head measurement. Choose a plain, twisted or knotted front, enter your head measurement or pick a size, and set the width of the front and of the elastic.
It is the same pattern as the scrunchie, switched to a headband.
Make this pattern in your size →When to choose this one
Choose the headband for a band that sits across the head: a plain, twisted or knotted fabric front with elastic at the back, sized from your head measurement rather than from an elastic loop.
To tie up a ponytail instead, use the scrunchie.
What you can change
Size
- Finished width: 1.5–12 cm (⅝–4¾″). Of the tube or band, lying flat.
Sizes are typed in centimetres, millimetres or inches. The starting size is Finished width 5 cm (2″).
Options
- Make: scrunchie or headband
- Front: plain, twisted or knotted
- Head size: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL or measured
- Measurements and counts: Head, Ease, Fabric front, Back elastic width
Starting points
These are sizes and settings to begin from, and every one stays fully editable. Type your own measurements, or start from the nearest one.
| Starting point | Finished size, cm | Same starting point in round inches |
|---|---|---|
| Twisted headband | twisted 5 cm wide · 53 cm round | twisted 2″ wide · ≈21″ round |
| Knotted headband | knotted 6 cm wide · 53 cm round | knotted 2½″ wide · ≈21″ round |
| Plain headband | plain 3.5 cm wide · 53 cm round | plain 1½″ wide · ≈21″ round |
The scrunchie or headband pattern has 5 starting points in all; the other 2 are in the maker.
Cutting list
At the starting size (Finished width 5 cm (2″)) the pattern has these pieces. Fabric sizes include seam allowance, interfacing is cut to the stitching line, and pieces cut on the fold are shown opened out. Each size is the width and height of the piece as cut.
| Piece | Fabric | Cut | Size to cut | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front tubes | Main fabric | 2 | 44.1 × 12 cm (≈17⅜ × ≈4¾″) | Rectangle: cut by measurement or from the print |
| Back casing | Main fabric | 1 | 7.2 × 30.62 cm (≈2⅞ × ≈12″) | Strip: cut by measurement |
You will also need: Elastic; Thread. The cover page and materials list give the amounts for your size.
The maker’s fabric estimate at this size: Main fabric about 0.3 m of 112 cm fabric.
How it goes together
These are the maker’s own instructions at the starting size. They change with the options you pick, and the PDF carries the full set with the cover, cutting list and materials list.
- Make the front: fold each front tube in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew the long edge at 1 cm. Turn right side out and press with the seam along one edge (it goes on the inside).
- Twist the front: fold each tube in half across its length. Hook one folded tube through the fold of the other, so they interlock at the middle, then bring the four ends together in pairs: the two left ends together and the two right ends together. Baste each pair, pleating it to the casing width.
- Make the back: fold the casing in half lengthwise, right sides together, sew the long edge at 1 cm, and turn it. Thread the elastic through, gathering the casing, so 1.5 cm of elastic sticks out at each end, and stitch across the casing ends to hold it.
- Join the band: push 1.5 cm of elastic into each end of the front, tuck the front's raw ends in by 1 cm over it, pleating them to fit, and stitch across twice through every layer.
- Try it on. Head 57 cm − 4 cm ease = 53 cm finished: a little smaller than the head so it grips.
Fabric suggestions
Outer: Scrunchies: cotton lawn, silk, satin, velvet or a soft knit. Headbands: cotton jersey, viscose knit or a soft woven.
Lining: None: the tubes are folded double.
Interfacing, padding or other layers: None. Keep it soft so it gathers and grips.
How each fabric family suits it
- Stable woven: great choice. Gathers evenly; cut on the bias for a softer twist.
- Heavy or stiff: possible, with care. Too bulky to gather or knot; use it only for a wide plain band.
- Stretchy knit: great choice. Comfortable on the head and needs no finishing; use a stretch stitch for the tube seam.
- Slippery or fine: works well. Silk and satin are kind to hair. Pin closely; they slide while sewing the tube.
The maker’s advice adjusts to the fabric family you pick in the Fabric tab.
Printing it
At the starting size the printed pieces take 2 A4 pages, taped together using the page labels, alignment marks and page map. For a print shop, choose a sheet from A0 to a 36″ roll: the pieces are packed onto as few sheets as they will fit on, and if one is too big for the sheet the maker says so. Every piece here is a rectangle or a strip, so the cutting list above is enough and you can skip printing. How printing, tiling and the test square work.
Frequently asked questions
What size can I make?
The headband pattern takes finished width from 1.5–12 cm (⅝–4¾″). It starts at Finished width 5 cm (2″), and you can work in centimetres, millimetres or inches. This page starts from Twisted headband, Knotted headband and Plain headband. Every starting point stays fully editable.
Which fabric suits the headband pattern?
Scrunchies: cotton lawn, silk, satin, velvet or a soft knit. Headbands: cotton jersey, viscose knit or a soft woven. In the maker’s fabric advice, stable woven and stretchy knit are a great choice; slippery or fine works well; heavy or stiff is possible with care.