estimated reading time: 8 min

Sew a headband: The headband makes the outfit

18.02.2018 by Sabine Schmidt

Haarband nähen: Das Stirnband macht das Outfit

What do I need for that?

Materials & Details

Pins^*

Fabric scissors^*

Jersey^*

Machine:: Overlock seamstretch seamBackstitch functionStraight stitch
Interfacing:: Vlieseline H609

More info

Needle:: Jersey needle^*
Thread:: stretch sewing thread^*

Jersey is a soft, elastic fabric that is super comfy and adapts beautifully to the body. It is stretchy, usually lightweight and feels pleasantly smooth on the skin.

Typical of jersey: it moves with you, which makes it perfect for everyday clothing. Depending on the material, it can be thin and airy or somewhat firmer.

When sewing, jersey likes to curl up a little at the edges, but with a few tricks it works well. It is ideal for T-shirts, dresses, sleepwear or kids' clothing.

In short: soft, stretchy and a true feel-good fabric for every day.

French terry^*

Machine:: Zigzag stitchOverlock seamstretch seamBackstitch functionStraight stitch
Interfacing:: Vlieseline H609

More info

Needle:: Stretch needle^*
Thread:: stretch sewing thread^*

French terry is a lightweight sweatshirt fabric with a smooth outer side and small loops on the inside. This makes it pleasantly soft, but not too thick or too warm.

It is slightly stretchy and therefore super comfortable – perfect for anything that should be cosy without feeling like a winter jumper.

Its airy wearing comfort is typical: it warms a little but still lets the skin breathe. That is exactly why it is so popular for transitional seasons and everyday wear.

French terry is pretty easy to sew because it is more stable than jersey but still stays flexible.

It is ideal for hoodies, T-shirts, dresses, joggers or casual leisurewear.

In short: comfortable, airy and the perfect all-rounder for relaxed outfits.

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Sewing a headband: With my tutorial, I will show you 4 variations that allow even sewing beginners to easily sew beautiful and practical headbands themselves.

The most important things at a glance

In this tutorial, I will show you 4 variations of how you can easily sew beautiful headbands
You can sew the headbands very well from elastic fabrics like jersey, French terry, or thin boiled wool fabrics
To sew them, you only need a sewing machine or an overlocker
Sewing time: approx. 30 min.

Headbands are super stylish and very feminine. How practical that they are also nice and warm and ensure you don't get cold ears! :)

In this post, I will show you great and very simple variations with which you can easily conjure up these headbands yourself. You can also wear the headbands in combination with a self-sewn scrunchie!

Reading tip: Sewing jersey with a sewing machine

Which fabrics are suitable for sewing headbands?

These instructions are designed for elastic fabrics.

Very suitable examples include:

Reading tip: Wash fabric before sewing

Variation 1: Sewing a bandeau headband

A beautiful and very casual variation of the turban headband: the bandeau or knot headband. Unlike the first variation, the bandeau headband consists of only one piece of fabric.

It is therefore ideal for fabric scraps. And perfect for sewing a little eye-catcher for a new shirt or coat. You can even conjure up this variation out of boiled wool!

Required materials

When choosing your fabric, you should ensure that the material is nicely stretchy. For jersey or French terry, the fabric strip should be approx. 50 cm long. For boiled wool fabrics, I worked with a length of 55 cm.

For the children's version, I use 18 x 45 cm of jersey. You can also easily determine the required strip length by placing the strip around your head while stretching it slightly.

Then cut it to size without seam allowance. This way, you ensure the headband doesn't sit too loosely. It's best to try this out on a sample piece made of inexpensive jersey or boiled wool.

18 x 50 cm jersey or French terry
Pins^*
Scissors^*
Sewing machine

Variation 4: Sewing a headband with a yo-yo flower

For this variation, I sewed the same headband again and decorated it with two cute yo-yo flowers.

Of course, the headband can be conjured up in any length and width.

For this variation, I sewed a 62 cm long headband with rounded ends.

I stitched the ends together overlapping.

As a decoration, I sewed on a double yo-yo flower with a button. A tutorial on how to sew a yo-yo can also be found here on the blog.

Happy simple sewing,

your Sabine

Frequently asked questions

Which fabrics can I use to sew the headband?

Ideal are all stretchy materials, for example jersey, French terry, or thinner boiled wool fabrics.

Can beginners also sew the headband?

Yes, of course. The headband is ideal for beginners in both variations.

How long does it take to sew the headband?

Even beginners can complete the headband in around 30 minutes.

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Instruction 1 / 3

Sew a bandeau headband

Version 1: Classic bandeau headband – 6 cm high, with elastic on one side. Quick & easy.

Step

Place the fabric piece with the right (pretty) side facing up.
Step

Fold the long sides right sides together and pin the edge.
Step

Sew the long sides together with a stretch straight stitch.
This is what it should look like now:
Step

Turn the headband right side out and shape the seam nicely.
Mark the centre of the short sides.
Step

Fold the short sides in half.
Step

Now fold the short ends of the strip towards each other.
Step

Lay them next to each other, slightly offset.
Step

The open sides face the same direction.
Step

Now twist the lower end once around itself so that the open sides face each other.
Unfold the upper end.
Step

Place the first half of the lower end on top, flush up to the centre markings.
Step

Fold the second half of the upper end over it.
Step

Finally, fold the lower half of the lower end over it.
This is what it should look like now:
Step

Pin the ends together.
Sew them together with a straight stitch and a seam allowance of 1 cm.
If your sewing machine doesn't like the difference in height, you can use the black button on the side of the presser foot.
Step

Here's how: lift the presser foot and slide the fabric underneath it.
Step

Lower the foot while pressing the black button.
Step

Now the presser foot sits nice and level on the fabric and you can start sewing in a relaxed way.
This is what it should look like now:
Step

Then trim the seam allowance to 3 – 4 mm from the seam.
This is what it should look like now:
Step

Turn the headband so that the seam disappears inside.
Done!
And now make more of them! ????

Instruction 2 / 3

Sew a turban headband

Version 2: Turban headband with a criss-cross twisted front. The back is a casing with enclosed elastic.

01

Step
Cut the fabric to the required size as described above.
02

Step
Fold the long sides of the fabric strips right sides together and pin the open edges together.
03

Step
Close the pinned long edges with the overlock stitch of your sewing machine or with the overlock.
Alternatively, you can use a narrow zigzag stitch or another stretch stitch.
Turn the resulting fabric tubes right side out.
04

Step
Then you can press the two fabric tubes. Make sure the seams are in the middle.
Then lay the two bands crosswise on top of each other, seam on seam.
Fold the ends of the bands right sides together.
Each band is placed together with its own beginning/end.
05

Step
Then place the four tube ends on top of each other with the seams aligned and pin them in place.
06

Step
Sew the four ends together with the overlock or the overlock stitch of your sewing machine.
Secure the beginning and end well.
07

Step
Unfold the headband and: voilà! Done! :)
Step

Simply great, I think!
Of course, it's especially brilliant when the headband matches not only the outfit but also the hair colour, like on our model Faye! :)
By the way, a very simple trick turns the knotted headband into a smooth headband:
Arrange the bands so that the seam allowance that closes the bands into a circle is hidden.
Then the bands are simply loosely intertwined. This way you get two ways to wear it! :)

Instruction 3 / 3

Sew a knotted jersey headband

Version 3: Knotted headband made of stretchy jersey – no elastic, held purely by the stretch of the fabric.

Step

Fold your fabric piece right sides together with the long sides meeting.
Step

Pin everything securely.
Now you can decide whether the ends should be pointed, oval, square or rounded. Pre-cut the ends accordingly.
I use my pincushion for this… ????
Step

Allow for a seam allowance of 0.7 cm.
Step

Begin at the fold and sew, curving the seam slightly so that no corner forms where the fold meets the start of the seam.
Step

Important: sew with a short straight stitch (e.g. 1.2 mm) so that the seam stays a little stretchy. You can also use a narrow zigzag.
Step

Also sew along the straight edge and the other end. But leave a turning gap open on the long side.
Step

Trim the seam allowances at the ends to 3 – 4 mm from the seam.
Step

Turn the headband right side out.
Step

Fold the seam allowances inwards, press the headband and close the turning gap by edgestitching with a straight stitch.
Step

Now all you need to do is knot the headband the way you like! Done.
Step

And now: make more of them! ????

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About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.