Skill level: Beginner

You will need:

• Stretchy knit fabric – 45cm x 10 cm
• Matching thread
• Scissors
• Safety pin
• Pins/clips
• Needle
• Sewing machine

To make:

Lay out the fabric piece, right-side facing up and then fold in half lengthways, placing the long, raw edges together. Pin/clip in place, leaving one 2cm gap between pins/clips at one end of the long edge – this will be where you pull the headband the right side out after it has been sewn.

Using your sewing machine, stitch a zig-zag stitch (length 3, width 3) along the long raw edge with a 0.5cm seam allowance. Don’t forget to leave the 2cm gap at one end. Remove the pins/clips as you go.

Pin the safety pin to one side of the short end of the tube you have sewn, the opposite end to where you have left the gap. Pull the safety pin and attached fabric through the inside of the tube until the safety pin reaches the other end. This should have pulled half of the length of the fabric through the tube. Remove the safety pin.

Line up the raw edges and the seams at the open end of the tube, pin/clip into place then machine sew with a straight stitch (or tightly hand stitch) in a circle around the raw edges - do not close up the end. This can be tricky to do on a sewing machine as it is quite a small area to manoeuvre so you may need to hand sew.

Using the gap you have left unstitched on the longer side of the fabric, carefully pull the fabric through the hole so it is now right-side out. Ensure the hem is neatly inside the headband, press the gap closed with your fingertips. Just inside the hem, stitch an invisible stitch to close the gap.

Roll the seam of the headband to the underside. Your headband is now ready to wear!

Tips and ideas

• Try to not stretch the fabric as you sew.
• Adjust the measurements of the fabric according to the size of your head and the width of the headband you would like.