Skinny Headband Tutorial

I love headbands but they often don't love me back. I've made so many really pretty fabric ones and they start off nice but then just slide off my head.
Then a long, thin scrap from a project made me think it would be perfect as a headband and I realized I just needed thinner headbands! So the Skinny Headband was created! It's such an easy project that I thought it would be great as my first attempt at a tutorial.
Sorry for the picture overload, better too many than too few right?

The finished product:


You will need:
- basics (scissors or rotary cutter, sewing machine, thread, etc.)
- soft measuring tape
- 2.5" of 1/4" elastic
- two long thin scraps of fabric


Measure your head by wrapping the soft measuring tape around your head exactly where your headband will sit.


Cut two pieces of fabric 1.5" by your head measurement less 1 inch. My head measured 21" so I cut two pieces each 1.5" by 20".


Now sew with a 1/4" seam, the right sides together on one long edge of the fabrics, backstitching at each end.


Press the seam open


Now fold the outer long edges in to meet the edge of your pressed-open seam. Press. Repeat on the other outer long edge.
As long as you line the edges up, even if your seam allowance was bigger or smaller than 1/4" you will still end up with a 3/4" wide headband here.


Fold in half and press.


Unfold at the end and fold the short end up 1/2". Then refold the long sides in and back in half.


It should look like this:


Insert your elastic (2.5" piece) in one end so it is 1/2" in. Pin in place.


Starting at the short end with the elastic, stitch close to the edge on the short end (backstitching over the elastic will help keep it in place), pivot at the corner and stitch almost to the next corner. Pause here.


Now insert the other end of the elastic 1/2" into this end. Make sure the headband isn't twisted!
Finish stitching by pivoting at the corner and sewing along the short end, backstitching over the elastic.


Clip the threads and you are all done!