Starleigh
11-10-2004, 10:51 AM
These instructions are to make multiple headbands. It's the way I do it since I seldom make just one. I make them for pinatas, party bags, and swaps.
I've always used fortyfive inch wide fabric. You could take the time to figure it out for 60" but not many wovens come in 60" and knits you'd definately have to do a little different because they stretch.
Prewash your fabric. Cut strips along the width of the fabric. For the main part they are about 6-6 1/2" wide, for the elastic casing they are 2 1/4-2 1/2" wide. For every four wide strips you only need three narrow strips. Fold lengthwise and sew the long edges together with about a 3/8" seam. Turn all the strips and press the wide ones. Cut the wide ones in thirds, just over 14" each. Cut the narrow ones in forths, around 11" each. Cut your 3/4" elastic into seven inch strips. Run the elastic through the narrow casing, when the ends are even lay the casing seam side up on the wide strip, seam side down, even up the raw edges. Fold the head band over from the top, then from the bottom. Sew. Finish pulling the elastic to the other end, repeat on the other end of the headband. Now repeat this procedure with all of the headbands and you are done. This is far from an exact science, it doesn't really matter how wide the headband part is, it's up to you. As long as the bands are thirds, and the casings are forths of 45" fabric, and you're elastic is 7" everything should turn out just fine. If you are making these for a smaller head, just shorten them slightly when you sew the ends, and really all you have to shorten is the elastic.
Like I said these are great for pinatas. I made them for my cousin's party and they were the first thing the kids picked up. With about a yard of fabric you can make twelve. It takes me just less than two hours, start to finish. It is boring work, but the way kids like them at parties and such it's rewarding. Any time you have about 9" left on the end of fabric when you sew, you can just whip some right up and save them for the next occasion.
I've always used fortyfive inch wide fabric. You could take the time to figure it out for 60" but not many wovens come in 60" and knits you'd definately have to do a little different because they stretch.
Prewash your fabric. Cut strips along the width of the fabric. For the main part they are about 6-6 1/2" wide, for the elastic casing they are 2 1/4-2 1/2" wide. For every four wide strips you only need three narrow strips. Fold lengthwise and sew the long edges together with about a 3/8" seam. Turn all the strips and press the wide ones. Cut the wide ones in thirds, just over 14" each. Cut the narrow ones in forths, around 11" each. Cut your 3/4" elastic into seven inch strips. Run the elastic through the narrow casing, when the ends are even lay the casing seam side up on the wide strip, seam side down, even up the raw edges. Fold the head band over from the top, then from the bottom. Sew. Finish pulling the elastic to the other end, repeat on the other end of the headband. Now repeat this procedure with all of the headbands and you are done. This is far from an exact science, it doesn't really matter how wide the headband part is, it's up to you. As long as the bands are thirds, and the casings are forths of 45" fabric, and you're elastic is 7" everything should turn out just fine. If you are making these for a smaller head, just shorten them slightly when you sew the ends, and really all you have to shorten is the elastic.
Like I said these are great for pinatas. I made them for my cousin's party and they were the first thing the kids picked up. With about a yard of fabric you can make twelve. It takes me just less than two hours, start to finish. It is boring work, but the way kids like them at parties and such it's rewarding. Any time you have about 9" left on the end of fabric when you sew, you can just whip some right up and save them for the next occasion.