Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Started Making Fabric Headbands From Scraps and My Daughter Wants One Daily
35
items My daughter kept losing store-bought headbands, snapping the plastic ones, and complaining they pinched. I started cutting scraps from old projects into knotted headbands one weekend and suddenly she wanted a new one every morning. If you've got a ki...
Sections
5
Fabric and Scraps to Start Cutting From
Sewing Supplies That Make Headbands Actually Hold Together
Measuring and Marking for Kid-Sized Heads
The Sewing Machine and Iron Setup That Speeds Everything Up
Finishing Touches and Storage So Headbands Survive School
Fabric and Scraps to Start Cutting From
I used to hoard fabric remnants in a bin under my sewing table feeling guilty about waste. Now every piece turns into a headband and my daughter picks her favorites like she's shopping at a boutique.
Grab a bundle of these when you're starting out. I cut two headbands per quarter and my daughter sorted them by color on her bedroom floor like it was Christmas morning.
Fabric Editions 18"x21" 100% Cotton Fat Quarter Motini
Use these for the girly patterns. My daughter's teacher actually asked where she got her headband, and she proudly said her mom made it from flowers.
Singer, 100% Cotton, Lemon Floral 5Pc Bundle
Keep a few solids on hand for when your kid wants something that matches a specific outfit. My daughter plans her headband the night before school like it's a whole event.
FABRIC CREATIONS 100% Cotton Solid Pre-Cut 1.83 m
Snag this if you want variety without buying full yards. I made seven headbands from one pack and still had scraps left for bows.
Waverly, 100% Cotton Fat Quarter Bundles, Orange
Toss a tiny bit inside knotted headbands to give them that puffy look. My daughter calls them her cloud headbands and refuses to wear the flat ones now.
Air Lite Eco-Friendly Recycled Polyester Fiberfill - 16 Oz.
Press this onto thinner fabrics before cutting. I skipped it once and the headband went floppy after one wash. Learned that lesson fast.
Pellon, 906F Fusible Sheer Fabric Interfacing, White
Try these prints when your kid wants something bold. My daughter wore a dinosaur print headband to school and three girls asked for one.
Springs Creative 43" 100% Cotton Graphic Prints
Sewing Supplies That Make Headbands Actually Hold Together
The first headband I made fell apart during recess. My daughter came home holding two pieces of fabric and looking at me like I betrayed her. These supplies fixed that.
Switch to this thread if your headbands keep popping stitches. I was using cheap thread before and every headband lasted about four wears.
Coats and Clark Dual Duty All Purpose Thread
Use sharp scissors or your fabric edges will fray before you even start sewing. I dulled my old pair on denim and was tearing cotton like an animal until I got these.
SINGER, Heavy-Duty Fabric Scissors, 8.5-inch, Comfort Grip
Pin your fabric before stitching or the knot section shifts and looks drunk. My first attempt without pins was so crooked my daughter wouldn't touch it.
Dritz Pins Notions & Sewing Accessories in Sewing
Grab this for cutting straight strips fast. I used to freehand with scissors and every headband was a slightly different width. My daughter noticed. Kids notice everything.
45mm rotary cutter for fabric with ergonomic loop grip
Pair this with the rotary cutter and you'll cut clean strips in seconds. I ruined my kitchen table with blade marks before I finally got one of these.
Self-Healing Cutting Mats for Arts and Crafts ...
Sew a short piece into the back so the headband stretches over your kid's head without squeezing. My daughter said her old plastic ones gave her a headache. This fixed that.
Dritz 1/4" Sewing & Crafting Braided Elastic White 8 Yards
Keep these for quick fixes when a seam pops. My daughter brought me a headband at 7:15 AM once and I had three minutes to save it before the bus came.
Singer Heavy Duty Assorted Hand Needles - 7 Ea
Measuring and Marking for Kid-Sized Heads
I guessed the measurements the first time and made a headband that fit me but slid right off my daughter's head into her cereal bowl. Measuring matters.
Wrap this around your kid's head once and write the number down somewhere you won't lose it. I measured my daughter three times because I kept forgetting. She was not amused.
Singer Tape Measure 60 inch Vinyl Pink, 6 Pack
Use this to mark your cut lines on fabric. The ink vanishes after a day so you don't end up with blue streaks on a pink headband.
Dritz Disappearing Ink Marking Pen
Pair this with your cutting mat for perfectly straight strips. I eyeballed it for weeks and my daughter finally told me her headbands looked wobbly.
Fiskars Acrylic Ruler, 6x24 Inch
Try chalk on dark fabrics where the ink pen doesn't show up. I spent five minutes squinting at black cotton before I realized I needed a different marker.
Dritz Chalk Cartridge Set, Assorted Chalk
Keep a narrow ruler for marking seam allowances. Half an inch makes the difference between a headband that fits and one that's basically a neck warmer.
C-THRU Rulers in Rulers, Compasses & Protractors
Slide the marker to your seam allowance and use it as a guide while you sew. Consistency went from random to actually professional looking.
Dritz® 6" Sewing Gauge with Sliding Marker for ...
Trace your headband pattern onto tissue paper so you can reuse it. I was re-measuring every time until I made a template and cut my prep time in half.
Customer reviews for Simplicity Paper Sewing Pattern 9307
The Sewing Machine and Iron Setup That Speeds Everything Up
I hand-stitched the first five headbands and my fingers were sore for a week. Once I set up a proper station, I could knock out a headband during a single episode of whatever my daughter was watching.
Get this if you don't have a machine yet. I borrowed my mom's ancient one for a month before buying this, and the difference was like going from a bicycle to a car.
Brother, Sewing Machine, 27 Stitches, Automatic Buttonholer
Try this one if you want something even simpler. My neighbor uses it for all her kids' projects and she's never read a sewing manual in her life.
Singer® Start™ 1304 Mechanical Sewing Machine With 57
Press your fabric before cutting and press your seams after sewing. I skipped ironing once and the headband looked like a crumpled napkin.
Sunbeam Classic Steam Iron, 1200 Watt
Keep a small board next to your sewing machine so you're not walking across the room every two minutes. My setup went from annoying to efficient overnight.
Customer reviews for Household Essentials Tabletop
Swap your machine needle after every few projects. I sewed through a dull needle once and it dragged the fabric so badly the headband puckered.
SINGER Needles Size 90/14 Universal Regular ...
Wind a few bobbins ahead of time so you don't stop mid-headband to reload. Running out of bobbin thread at the worst moment is a universal sewing frustration.
SINGER® Universal Bobbin Winder for Sewing Machines
Use this when you're sewing through multiple layers at the knot. Regular feet skip and bunch the fabric. I wasted two pieces of my daughter's favorite print learning that.
SINGER® Even Feed Foot
Finishing Touches and Storage So Headbands Survive School
Making the headband is half the battle. The other half is making sure it survives a backpack, a playground, and whatever mystery substance ends up on it by 3 PM.
Dab this on raw edges if you don't want to hem every single one. My daughter's headbands stopped fraying after I started sealing the ends with this.
Aleene's Fabric Fusion Permanent Adhesive No-Sew Glue
Brush this along cut edges for extra insurance. One headband survived an entire rainy recess because I sealed it the night before.
Dritz Fray Check Liquid, Clear Seam Sealant
Toss finished headbands in one of these so your kid can see all the options without dumping a drawer. My daughter lines hers up by color every Sunday night.
Sterilite, Storage Box, Small Clip Box, Latching Lid, Clear
Keep these around for tying off the elastic ends inside the headband channel. They're soft enough that they won't dig into your kid's head behind the ears.
Customer reviews for Goody Ouchless 4mm Elastic Hair Ties
Spray this on finished headbands before the first wear. My daughter spilled juice on one at lunch and it wiped right off instead of staining.
Scotchgard™ Fabric Water Shield | 3M United States
Press your kid's initials on the inside so they don't lose them at school. My daughter lost two before I started labeling. The labeled ones always come home.
Dritz Soft Flex Iron-on Letters, 1-1/4-Inch, Daisies
Bring these out on a weekend and let your kid draw on a plain headband. My daughter made one with her name in bubble letters and it became her favorite thing she owns.
Tulip Permanent Jumbo Chisel Tip Fabric Marker