How to Sew High Quality Scrunchies with No Hand Sewing

by Thread the Needle January 14, 2021

I love scrunchies, they're fun to wear, quick to sew and they make great gifts & products to sell!

There are a lot of methods out there for making scrunchies, this is the one I use for selling scrunchies on Etsy because it's 100% machine sewn which gives it a professional quality and speeds up the process. I've gifted these as well and they seem to be a hit.

So here is your beginner friendly guide for making your own gorgeous and might I say fancy scrunchies:

What you need:

7" of 3-6mm knit or braided elastic

I use this one in black or white

1 Safety pin
Thread that matches your fabric

40 or 50 weight cotton or poly thread is ideal

21" x 4.75" cut of fabric (cotton, jersey or whatever you're feeling)

I have lots of modern solids and prints to choose from in my shop

Sewing Machine
Machine Needle

For Use woven fabrics use an 80/12 or universal top stitch needle
For jersey or stretch fabrics use a stretch stitch or ballpoint needle

More DIY scrunchie kits are on their way, keep an eye on my socials or sign up to my e-mail list to be notified when they launch!

For this tutorial sew all seems with a 1/4" seem using a 2.5mm stitch length & use a back stitch at the start and end of all seems.

Step 1

Fold fabric right sides together and sew the fabric together leaving a 1" gap about 3" from one of the openings. It is important to make sure the gap you are leaving is not in the center of your scrunchie in order to complete the next step.

Sewing tip:

As each step is completed cut the thread ends for a professional finish

Step 2

This is the hardest part but it's part of why this pattern turns out professional scrunchies, and I know you can do it!

Fold the one end of the tube inside itself and pull it through to the other end so the two ends of the tube are lined up.

Now very carefully sew the two ends of the tube together.

Sewing tip:

To successfully sew this on a machine use a smaller foot like the 1/4" foot in the below image. It is important to sew very slowly and carefully maneuvering the fabric with a chopstick or stiletto to keep your fingers away from the needle. If you're uncomfortable sewing this part with your machine, or don't have a foot that fits, you can hand sew the ends together.

Step 3

Pull the tube right side out through the 1" opening, you're almost there!

Step 4

Use a safety pin to pull the elastic through the tube.

Step 5

Tie a square knot to make the scrunchie as tight or loose as you want.

You will know if you have tied the square knot correctly because as you tighten it there will be almost no slippage. Trim off the ends of your elastic leaving about 1 cm of elastic sticking out from your knot so it doesn't untie itself.

Personally I put my scrunchies on my wrist or you could use a jar or any object that is your desired size during this step to create scrunchies that are consistently sized. Remember if you're gifting or selling scrunchies be aware of different hair thicknesses by providing varying scrunchie sizes.

Step 6

Using a thread that matches the scrunchie carefully machine sew the opening of the scrunchie closed, and voila you're done!