Scrunchie Fest!

Hello -here is a Totally 80s Tutorial for you! I went to an 80s themed birthday party on Saturday night, and decided to bring back a craft of olde - the scrunchie!

If you're a beginner or haven't made/worn a scrunchie before, here is how to do it:

Supplies: Long strip of fabric, elastic (I used 1/4 inch), thread, straight pins, 2 safety pins, sewing machine (you could do it by hand too).

(continued after the jump - go on, click read more!)

1) First, pick your fabric. You'll need something totally awesome, and in a long strip. Mine was 4 inches wide by 26 inches long. If you want a wider or thinner scrunchie, adjust the width -the final product will be half the width of your strip.

2) Next, fold it in half lengthwise and pin closed, wrong side out.

3) Sew the strip closed along the long side you've pinned, backstitching at the beginning and end. I used a 1/8 inch seam allowance.

4) Make sure you've removed all pins, and turn the tube right side out.

(A wooden spoon, chopstick, or knitting needle may come in handy here.)

Check to make sure there are no holes in your tube. No? Proceed!

5) Cut a length of elastic 1/3 the length of your tube and attach a safety pin to the end.

6) Drop the pinned end of the elastic into the tube, holding on to the unpinned end.

7) When just a bit of the elastic remains outside the tube (1/2 inch or so), pinch it with one hand so you don't lose it, then pin it to the open end of the tube with a safety pin

8) Feel your way down the tube to find the unattached safety pinned end of the elastic.
9) Feed the safety pinned end of the elastic towards the open end of the tube, scrunching the fabric down as you go.

10) A ha! Both ends of elastic see the light! Pull the unattached end of the elastic out of the tube so you have about 2 inches slack. Remove the safety pins from both ends, and do the same for the other side, pinching the elastic ends together so you don't lose them back down the tube.

11) Tie the ends of the elastic together with a triple knot, making sure it is scrunched enough to your liking - if you want it bunchier, trim the elastic to make it shorter, and tie again.

12) Fold in one end of the tube so the raw edge is hidden. Shove the knot inside the tube a few inches when you do this - you don't want to have to sew over it at the end.

13) Tuck the end with the raw edges exposed into the folded end.

14) Flatten the overlapping ends section and sew over it, backstitching at the beginning and end. Trim the threads and evenly distribute the bunching. You can cover up the seam a bit when you do this.

Done! Now you can go make a whole scrunchie family, and pass them out at your party to spread the 80s love.

RADICAL!!!