Oh, this blog is sooo on an August schedule these days! I’m writing blog posts in my head all the time but, so far, I haven’t figured out how to convince little elves to turn all of that internal chatter into an actual conversation here. Boo.
That must mean it’s time for a kick in the butt. For this reason, I’m going to teach you how to make the easiest ever workout headband.
As you may have gleaned, I am a runner. Nothing serious, no super long distances; I’m not keeping track of my personal best time or working toward anything at all, really. I run a steady ten minute mile and I try to run three or four times a week even if sometimes I only run a mile. It clears my head and it keeps my happy. When I am out running it’s my time, just for me, and I think better when I run so I often solve family or work problems. Maybe this blasé attitude officially makes me a ‘jogger’, who knows? I don’t care.
Anyway, I had been running with the same stank-y headbands when I decided I needed an upgrade. But, workout headbands can get weirdly pricy. I saw one for $15! Say what?! And, the cheap ones sometimes fall off. So, I grabbed some excess jersey knit and devised this easy headband-making method.
Here we go:
+ Cut a strip of 2-way or 4-way stretchy (at least 25% stretch or more) knit jersey sized 4″ by 19″.
+ Fold it in half lengthwise and using your walking foot*, a jersey sewing needle and a tight zigzag stitch sew with a 3/8″ seam allowance along the length leaving 1/2″ unsewn at each end.
+ Turn the tube right sides out and align both short ends with each other, right-sides together. Make sure not to twist the length of the band while you do this. (See how that extra 1/2″ at the end makes it smoother to join these together?)
+ Stitch (the same zigzag stitch) along the entire short end with a 3/8″ seam allowance. This require awkwardly maneuvering the fabric by sewing a little, rearranging the fabric to be sewn and continuing on like that the whole length of the stitch.
+ Flip the bit you have just sewn inside the tube. Press the whole thing with an iron making sure to iron the raw edges inwards.
+ Using the same tight zigzag stitch, sew this opening closed by sewing only the open section of the seam. It won’t be super pretty but you want the headband to stretch. Clip your threads, which I obviously forgot to do. Oops!
+ Flip the seam to inside, put that sucker on your forehead and go workout! You deserve it.
And, be sure to hashtag #sweatnsew because you earned it, chica!
* It also works well to sew jersey knit fabric using a teflon-coated foot or even place some scotch tape on the bottom of a standard machine foot, though a walking foot or teflon foot is preferable.
** For help determining the amount of stretch in your jersey knit, cut a 4″ by 4″ scrap and stretch it as much as possible, if it can stretch to 5″ it has 25% stretch; at 6″ it has 50% stretch; at 8″ long it has 100% stretch…you get the idea.
I love these headbands! In fact, I am wearing one right now :). Awesome and easy DIY
Headbands are the best! Truth.
Omg! I need to make this for my daughter ASAP. She is a gymnast and she loves headbands:)
Thanks for your sewing instructions now I own a sewing machine and CAN actually attempt to make things. Forever grateful! You are the best! And you look cute!:)
Yay!! OOh, happy sewing. Your daughter is sure to love anything you make, she’s such a sweetie-pie.
Hellooooo!! I’m going to be moving to your neck of the woods soon. I spotted you as an instructor for Rock Paper Scissors and came over to have a looksie. I used to be an avid runner and would love to work my way back into it again – having a running friend to chat about sewing while we huff and puff would be heaven! We’re closing on a house in Verona in a month and I should be there by mid November.