Okay, folks, I’ve got something fun, fun, fun for you guys this week.
I picked up this skirt at Target several weeks ago for $5 from the clearance rack knowing full-well that a) it was about 4 sizes too big and b) I am not a fan of the whole shorter in the front, longer in the back hemline trend.
What I am a fan of, though, are a) gray and b) Ikat (not to be confused with iDog).
So, I figured I would issue myself:
THE SKIRT CHALLENGE
Whoa, Abbie, that sounds serious. What is this skirt challenge you speak of?
Well, this week I will be making one wardrobe-related item per day, using this skirt’s material as a base for each one and supplementing only with materials I already have on hand…which means that the grand total spent specifically for each creation will be…wait for it…$1.
Today, I’m showing you a project that would be perfect for, say, keeping your hair out of your face while doing a Move-it Monday round of the esquiva/lunge combo that I showed you several weeks back.
Is it a bit girly for a workout?
Maybe.
But it’s also the most comfortable, stay-put headband I’ve ever worn.
In fact, I usually avoid headbands because, despite my coarse, curly hair, they tend to slide right off (is my head shaped like a bullet, and I don’t know about it?), or, if I can actually get them to stay, they give me a headache because they’re so tight.
I’ve been wearing my new braided bow headband for hours now, though, and it hasn’t slipped a bit, and I don’t have a headache.
Yeeeeeehaw!
Plus, it’s cute!
Want proof?
Here you go:
Okay, so how do we make this cute, comfy, workout-ready headband-from-a-skirt?
Well, let’s start with some of this:
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Fabric (I used my skirt fabric + the white “wife-beater” fabric you see in the background)
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Scissors
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Hot glue gun (of course)
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Elastic (mine is 7/8”)
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Needle + Thread (I used my sewing machine too, but you could hand-sew everything here easily)
I started out photographing this tutorial yesterday afternoon outside while the kids played in the backyard but ran out of light because I kept getting distracted by these cute things:
Oh my goodness, are those not the cheesiest grins you’ve ever seen?
Their Softa (my mom) sent those little balls of (very originally named) fuzz home with them last weekend (way better than the grass snakes their Sabba—my dad—sent them home with a few weeks back…but then you’d know all about that if you subscribed to our FB page, now wouldn’t you : )), and they’ve been obsessed ever since.
We’ll see how long it lasts.
ANYhoo, I really couldn’t pass up a chance to show you cute little boys holding cute little ducks, now could I?
But the point was that, if the abrupt change of picture venues is a bit jarring, there’s your explanation.
All right…let’s get started.
1. Cut 3 loooooooong strips (I cut all the way along the hem of the skirt 3 separate times) about 3/4″-1” wide.
2. Stitch or baste the three strips of fabric together.
3. Braid your strips together, ensuring that you keep the pattern on your fabric facing up if you’re working with a print.
4. I added in two braids of white material for width and laid them out on the table to play with the best configuration.
5. Once I found a combo I liked (I ended up going with Ikat braids on the inside, white on the outside), I (slowly, they’re thick) stitched all of them together at each end…
…and ended up with this:
…and then this:
I’m not going to give you a lot of measurements because I made this headband specifically to match my head’s dimension (it’s rather large), but I will way that these braids were all approximately 12” long, and I made up the difference with my elastic (you’ll see what I mean).
6. Next, I cut a rectangle as the “pattern” for my bow (mine is approximately 6”X3”, but this could vary widely depending on how big/small you want your bow to be).
7. Even though my fabric won’t fray, I took the time to turn the edges under and tack them with a quick stitch for a more finished look (I love the contrast of the orange thread against the gray/white fabric).
Tada! (Clearly, I wasn’t too worried about perfection in symmetry).
8. Then, I positioned my bow rectangle approximately 2/3 of the way down the length of braids, since I didn’t want the bow sitting right on top of my head (trying to avoid the “mammie” look here).
…and secured each corner underneath the braids with a dab of hot-glue.
9. Depending on weight/thickness of your fabric, you might be able to skip this step, but my fabric is thin, so I bunched it a little with my fingers (to give it that pucker in the center that bows have) and secured it with another dab of hot glue.
We have puckers!
10. Now, it’s time to add the center strip of your bow. I cut mine—again eye-balling the size—stitched the edges under for a finished look…
…then wrapped it around the center of my bow rectangle, securing it underneath the headband with yet another dab of hot glue (this is most assuredly the most amount of times I’ve used the word “dab” in one post).
Turn it over, and…
Well, lookie there! A bow!
11. All you need to do now is wrap your headband around your noggin to see how much elastic you need to add for flex and fit, stitch it in place…
…on both ends
..and, if you don’t like all that messy stitching, either stitch a lot more neatly than I do or cut one last strip of fabric and use one very last dab of hot glue (or four) to cover the unsightly elastic up with your fabulous fabric.
12. Take a deep breath, hope it fits, and try it on.
Mine was the perfect size!
Okay, that’s it for me today, folks.
My BB Headband and I have to get a move-on on tomorrow’s project.
Can’t wait to show you what it is!
P.S. Don’t forget to enter to win $30 credit to Fashion to Figure AND this cute little guy/gal:
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This would be so adorable for making headbands for my daughter’s outfits. I’m going to give this a try on Monday and see what I can do. Thanks for showing us this.
Carrie, I’ve been meaning to respond to this forever but don’t know if you’ll see it since I didn’t see an email address to respond to.
Anyhoo, in case you do, I wanted you to know that I laughed out loud at your dream and seriously spent the next several hours thinking about it on and off and chuckling every time I did! : )
Featuring your cute braided bow tomorrow! XO, Aimee
Love the headband…I headband wearin’ kinda girl. You look great in a headband!
Sharon @ mrs. hines class
Oh wow, I wish I’d had one of those tonight! My hair was NOT cooperating, I needed a trendy headband like that for a date with my husband. Had to resort to a ponytail, not nearly as cute. Thanks for linking up to Refresh Your Nest Friday!
Looks great! What a creative way to repurpose. Thanks for sharing.
Cute headband!
I REALLY like this. You’re not the only one with head problems.:) I am always getting a headache from headbands, and it stinks, because I really like them. I think I will definitely try something like this. If it stays and doesn’t hurt, I’m all for it.
OMG this is the cutest! I must pin this and try out later 🙂 Thanx for sharing.
Impressive!! And too cute.
Now, if I only knew how to sew…
Abbie!! My name is Carrie and I have the craziest thing to tell you! I’ve actually followed your blog for a few months now and always enjoy your posts. But I just had to tell you this! Last night right before I went to bed I read this post. Guess what I dreamed about?! In my dream I was trying to follow your tutorial to make that adorable headband, but I was trying to use wrapping paper instead of cloth…I remember telling myself in the dream that it would turn out just fine as long as I made sure the patterned side of the paper showed in the braided section but at the same time I was completely baffled as to why the paper kept trying to rip. 🙂 Also, I was with a friend or something (of course, I have no idea who she actually was) and remember telling her that in order to make the headband look right we had to talk in British accents the whole time we were making it (lol). I woke up laughing and just had to share. 🙂
A woman and her sewing machine….. it’s a beautiful sight. Now how about the next time I see those ducks they have little headbands too?
~Bliss~
LOVE IT! I want to try this. P.S. I loved the skirt, too!
So i already told you how pretty you are on FB but I will say it again!!! Gorgeous! And I love this head band. And what is the deal with shorter in the front longer in the back trend??
What a fun challenge! I love to sew (and have bad hair days) so this is right up my alley! I’ve seen the bow headbands and the braids but never the combo…..great thinking! Btw….got my sat sale pkg and love my stuff. Wore my shoes to church on Sunday! Thx so much!
Absolutely precious! Love it.
very cute and a great headband for $5!! BTW, the lashes look amazing..keep strong! =0)
Kim@reposhture.blogspot.com
that is so cute!! i haven’t seen a headband like this and I love it!! i think i need to try it!!
Love it! As far as the skirt is concerned….I’m sure it’s not offend you didn’t like it. After all, I do believe it’s called a “mullet skirt”. And with a name like that, it has no right to be offended.
This is way too cute!! I love the added bow to the extra braids. I make braided headbands too, but have never done it this way:-) I would be distracted by cute kids and ducks too…can we say photo opp:-)
Very cute!
that is too cute! Although I think it being on your cute self adds to the appeal!
Love it!
super cute! it helps that the model is super cute, too.