Our little angels in the rework department have been rustling up handmade clothes in all our UK stores from vintage fabrics, all in support of sustainability and our eCow promise. Instead of binning the leftover fabric from our own line garms, our rework team has spun the scraps into one of a kind scrunchies to sell in our stores.
As well as making hair accessories from vintage fabric to match our retro clothes, the gals in our Manchester store gave us a little tutorial on how to make your own scrunchie from any old or vintage scraps ya might have yourself.
1. MEASURE IT OUT
Even though we're using scraps of vintage fabric for the scrunchie, you still need to have the right amount of fabric cut out for this to work. Martha measured a 50cm by 10cm strip of fabric, as well as 20cm of elastic to use later.
2. FOLD
Take your strip of fabric and fold it in half, making sure the pattern, colour or best side of the material is facing the inside.
3. STITCH DOWN ONE SIDE
Next, stitch down the side of the folded fabric that is open and this will create a tube. Can you start to see how this is becoming a hair scrunchie? While we used one of our machines, you can totally do this with a hand stitch.
TOP TIP: leave 1cm of fabric next to the seam, this is called a seam allowance.
4. PULL THROUGH
Now you have to turn your tube inside out so the pattern is back on the outside. Just choose one end and pull the fabric through to itself until you have a lovely little tube.
5. FOLD (AGAIN)
Choose one end of your tube and fold it into the tube, so it's not a raw seam but a folded one!
TOP TIP: Iron this fold down to keep it in place more easily.
6. ADD THE ELASTIC
Find your strip of elastic from the beginning of this journey and feed it through the fabric tube you've made. To make this a little easier, Martha attached a safety pin to one end to ease it through.
7. KNOT IT
A simple step! Tie the two ends of elastic together in a double knot. Make sure it's strong and secure.
8. THE FINAL STITCH
Tuck the raw seam on one end into the folded end of your tube, and sew them together to secure your new scrunchie!
9. PUT IT IN!
Probably the best step in the whole process - throw your hair up into a 90s style with your brand new vintage scrunchie.
Hopefully this picture guide will be helpful in getting more time out of older clothes and promote a more sustainable type of accessorising. Be sure to let us know if ya want us to stock some scrunchies on the site and double make sure to send us any scrunchies ya make yourself!
