A day without a headband……is a day I will never know! Whether it’s the gym, school, or even a lunch date, I have a headband to match (well, kind of) my outfit and keep my hair from falling in my face. I have an off-the-charts head circumference, so I was never able to find a band that was comfortable and didn’t slide off my head. Discovering the non-slip qualities of velvet lead to these fabulous SUPER EASY ribbon headbands that can be customized to fit ANY head. This DIY headband tutorial is super easy to follow – so READ ON, my friend!
I’ve made a gazillion (that’s the official term for “enough to fill a drawer”) for myself and many friends….and they will ALL testify that these simple, stylish little creations really DO stay in place on your head. Behold the amazing properties of velvet ribbon.
Let’s Do This!
Materials:
- Ribbon – 5/8” to 2” width
- Velvet Ribbon – same width as headband ribbon
- Elastic -1/4” – 3/8” width
- Sewing Machine / Coordinating Thread
Listen friend, you need to shop at your Local Craft Store (LCS) when they have ribbon on sale and STOCK UP. You know what I’m sayin’ – the “50% off ribbon” sale! Get a lot of ribbon in amazing prints and then get the coordinating velvet ribbon. Bam.
Instructions:
**Measure head circumference to determine finished headband measurement. Subtract ½” – 1” if you’d like a tighter fit.
- Cut ribbon and velvet ribbon 2.5” shorter than finished headband measurement.
- Cut elastic 3.5” (this allows for ½” seam allowance in ends of headband).
- Finish ends of ribbon by singeing with a small flame (lighter or match). The heat melts the polyster/nylon in the ribbon and seals the ends so it won’t fray. You can also put a bit of Fray-Check or glue on the ends, but let it dry before sewing.
REFER TO PICTURE BELOW FOR A VISUAL “HOW-TO” IF READING INSTRUCTIONS ISN’T YOUR GIG. I’M TOTALLY WITH YOU.
- Lay ribbon and velvet with wrong sides together, and sew the long sides. Leave the ends open (I use a longer stitch length to avoid puckering along the edges).
- Sandwich one end of the elastic between one of the ribbon and velvet ends and sew across (I like to secure the ends of the elastic in the headband by stitching several times across the headband ends).
- Insert the other end of elastic in the remaining open end of headband, adjust for fit as needed, and sew across.
Once you get this simple headband construction down, you can make one for every outfit and one for every friend! I wear these headbands to the gym every day, and they keep the sweat out of my eyes, and do NOT slip off of my head. They wash easily (hang to dry), and are just pennies to make. They’re perfect for any age…..I’ve made them for my mom (who is a great-grandmother) AND my 5-month old daughter. Easy, inexpensive, cute, and functional!
Please PIN this post to your Pinterest boards for future use and please share with your friends! Also, check out our other AMAZINGLY awesome ribbon crafts, Clip-On Chapstick Holder and Stretchy Bookmarks. As always, so easy and quick to make!
Thanks so much for stopping by my Inspired Mess for this awesome little project!
DIY No Slip Headband
Thank you so much for showing this Headband making greatly appreciated all the help ♡♡
Elaine, I’m so glad this tutorial was helpful. You can never have too many headbands! Well, I suppose you can have too many, but no one is counting. 🙂 Happy headband-making! – Cyndi
You have too use Velvet? Why can’t it just be material?
Velvet has “tooth” to it so it doesn’t slip out of your hair – almost like soft velcro. Material, either woven or knit will just slip out. Velvet has more holding power.
But, as always, you do you. Try another material and see how it works!