Learn how to make scrunchies with no sewing, no glue and in about 5 minutes each! This easy and quick tutorial is the best DIY scrunchie tutorial out there!

If I could go back in time and tell my 12 year-old self that someday, for a living, I would be writing tutorials about how to make scrunchies on the internet…well, I probably laugh hysterically.

While I was there though, I would also tell my 12-year-old self to save all of the scrunchies in my giant scrunchie collection because they’d come back in style again. (If I told 20-year-old me this, I would NEVER believe that either, ha!)

But I vividly remember the giant scrunchie wall they had at Claire’s in the mall (omg, I’m dating myself…) and how hard it was to choose which ones to buy with my allowance. I can also remember choosing which scrunchie went best with my outfits in middle school. And picking a “fancy” scrunchie when I had to get dressed up.

And here we are again, scrunchies and plaid shirts are cool again. It’s kind of comforting to be back to something familiar and it kind of feels wrong because it does NOT feel like it’s been long enough for the 90’s to be considered a long enough time ago that they can be back in style. You know what I mean? I guess my parents felt the same way when we dressed up like hippies for Halloween?

Anyway, scrunchies are back and they are awesome.

What’s so great about scrunchies?

• They don’t leave a dent in your hair when you use them for a ponytail.
• They are fun pops of color or print to add to an outfit.
• They look cute on your wrist (ok, I’m saying this one a little facetiously)
• They let you relive the 90’s 😉

That being said, I have a big fabric stash, a little girl who wanted a scrunchie and I’m a cheapskate. You know what that is? That’s a perfect recipe for a DIY scrunchie tutorial!

BUT I googled the tutorials out there and there were two kinds. Number one, the kind that uses a sewing machine. Which is TOTALLY fine, if you love to sew, go for it! My machine is currently sort of broken. Well actually the bobbin winding feature is broken. And my bobbin is empty. And I am too lazy to get out the separate bobbin winder. So I crossed that off the list.

So I knew I wanted to try for a no-sew DIY scrunchie. But then, all of the tutorials I saw for no-sew scrunchies used hot glue. HOT GLUE! You guys, just…nope. Scrunchies are supposed to be soft and stretchy and bendy! Hot glue is none of those things! (I don’t mean to throw shade at the these other tutorials, but I do want to be real with you guys here and as I cover in my How to Glue Anything post, hot glue and fabric really only mix for things like Halloween costumes that are temporary and don’t need to be flexible)

So I went back to the drawing board and figured out a different way to make scrunchies with no sewing. They take about 5 minutes each and could not possibly be easier. They might even be the world’s easiest DIY scrunchies!

Yield: One DIY Scrunchie

How to Make Scrunchies with NO SEWING!

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Learn how to make scrunchies with no sewing, no glue and in about 5 minutes each! This easy and quick tutorial is the best DIY scrunchie tutorial out there!

Active Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $3

Materials

• 1/4 - 1/2 yard Cotton quilting fabric (fat quarters work great for this project)
• 3/8" iron on hem tape with paper backing
• 3/4 inch elastic

Tools

• Fabric scissors
• Iron

Instructions

Cut a piece of fabric that is 4 inches x 18 inches

Fold over each of the long sides by 1/2 inch and press with a hot iron

Cut a piece of iron on hem tape that is 18 inches long and, leaving the paper backing ON, iron it according to the instructions along one of the long folded edges

Do not peel the paper backing yet. Flip your fabric over and iron another piece of hem tape with the paper backing ON across the length of ONE of the short ends of you fabric. Do not peel this backing either.

Flip the fabric back over and peel the paper backing off only the long piece of hem tape.

Then fold your fabric lengthwise, carefully lining up the folded edges, to make a long tube. Iron the seam according to the directions on the hem tape to secure the length. Let cool.

Your fabric is now a long tube. Peel the paper backing off the short end of the tube and fold that edge IN by about 3/4 inch to make a finished edge. Flatten the fold gently with the heat of your fingers to keep it folded. Do NOT press with an iron.

Cut a piece of elastic about 1 inch longer than your fabric tube and thread it through the tube so it's sticking out of both ends.

Grab both ends of the elastic and pull to gather the fabric of the scrunchie.

Gather until it's as tight as you want it and then tie the two ends in a secure knot.

Trim off the excess elastic.

Then rotate the elastic inside the scrunchie so the knot is not right at the seam.

At this point you have one end of the tube that is folded and has hem tape inside, and you have one end that is a raw fabric edge. Insert the raw end INSIDE the folded end by about 1 inch to make sure the hem tape will have enough surface area to stick to.

Iron this short seam according to the directions on the hem tape, making sure to flip the scrunchie over and iron from both sides so it's very secure. Allow the scrunchie to cool COMPLETELY before you try and stretch it or the hem tape may come unstuck.

Notes

Note: Iron your scrunchie according to the hem tape package instructions but ALWAYS allow the project to completely cool before moving the seam and going on to the next step.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  ShuanShuo New Series Cotton Fabric Quilting Patchwork Fabric Fat Quarter Bundles Fabric for Sewing DIY Crafts Handmade Bags 40X50cm 8 pcs/lot
• 
  NW Elastic Bands Spool Sewing Band Flat Elastic Cord (White, 3/4 Inch)
• 
  HeatnBond UltraHold Iron-On Adhesive, 3/8 Inch x 10 Yards
• 
  Rowenta DW5080 1700-Watt Micro Steam Iron Stainless Steel Soleplate with Auto-Off, 400-Hole, Brown
• 
  LIVINGO Premium Tailor Scissors Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Titanium Coating Forged Stainless Steel Sewing Fabric Leather Dressmaking Softgrip Shears Professional Crafting (9.5 INCH)

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Cassie May

Craft and Knitwear Designer at Little Red Window Design

Welcome to Little Red Window! I’m Cassie, a professional craft and knitwear designer working in the field for more than 10 years. I have a degree in Art History from Northwestern University and a Master's Degree in Architecture and Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I've designed more than 300 separate knitting patterns, hundreds of craft projects, and I love to bring joy to your crafts and knitting with well-designed, easy to understand tutorials and patterns.

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