it shocks me so much when i see something very simple to make for sale at stores like urban outfitters for ridiculous prices. for example, tube tops, which are literally just two pieces of knit fabric sewed together, no straps, no fitting, no darts, just fabric and three lines of stitching. and these are selling for $18! not to call a store out, but that’s crazy. another item that i think is way overpriced are scrunchies. they are making a comeback right now, and i see so many people with them. i checked, and a pack of 5 scrunchies from urban is $12, meaning that each scrunchie is $2.40. for a piece of fabric folded in half sewn around a rubber band or elastic, this is kind of insane. and i know there are places out there that are selling scrunchies for much more!
so maybe the high price is supporting the factory workers who are making these scrunchies, but because it’s urban outfitters (i haven’t done a lot of research on this, but i know that urban outfitters isn’t usually a brand i see on ethical company lists) i’m a little skeptical about that. i honestly think that makers should start a collaborative shop to make and sell scrunchies for the same price and then donate the money made. that would be pretty cool, and it would be a way for people to start digging into some of their scrap collections and help out thrift stores. and i’m pretty sure there is a market for it – quite a few people at my school have seen my handmade scrunchies and have offered to buy one from me.
well, that was a bit of a rant and some thoughts, and here is a mini tutorial on how to make scrunchies, including measurements:
materials:
- fabric
- sewing machine
- scissors
- ruler
- elastic
- safety pin
- fabric turning thing
- hand-sewing needle and thread
- (fabric glue if you don’t have a machine)
start by cutting a strip of fabric 3.5 inches wide by 19 inches long. the length depends on the thickness of the fabric you are using. 19 inches is perfect for thinner, slippery fabric, but for cotton t-shirt fabric, 15 inches works better.
fold the fabric in half, or in this case, match up raw edges right sides together, and sew with a 1/4″ seam allowance. fold back the raw edges of the shorter side of the fabric to make it easier later on to sew the scrunchie together. turn the fabric using the fabric turning thing that i forget the name of.
cut a piece of elastic the size of your wrist plus 1″ seam allowance. mine was 7.25″ long. using a safety pin, insert the elastic, holding it at one end to make sure it doesn’t slip through. sew the ends of the elastic together, overlapping the ends by 1/2″.
the edges should already be folded, and you can slip them into one another and stitch with a machine, or for a cleaner finish, slip-stitch the opening closed. honestly, fabric glue would be the best option to make sure that no stitching shows through, but when you’re wearing the scrunchie, you can’t tell.
and…enjoy this scrunchie that cost $0 and took 10 minutes to make! it’s great for gifts 🙂
MTL ✷ 