Tutorial : 5-Minute Hairkerchief

hair can get in the way sometimes - which is why you'll find pony elastics on practically every doorknob in our house. but sometimes you need more - perhaps you're headed out for a bike ride, or there's just been one too many blobs of yogurt in the little one's locks, or you'd simply like to ensure a clear sightline for climbing. i needed a solution - and PRONTO. like any good mama + maker, i took a look at the hairbands we had on hand and determined they needed a little pick-me-up. i dug out a pattern i made a few years back and for a moment considered making a few of those for the girls, until i remembered that each one of them took about 1/2 an hour. um, no.

enter the 5-minute hairkerchief :: fully reversible and as supercute as the people who will wear them. and because we're using a full elastic hairband, it can fit children as well as adults. ready, steady, GO!

5-Minute Hairkerchief

first you will need to make a pattern - mine is a triangle made by cutting a 7.5" square in half, but you can make it larger or smaller depending on the size of the intended's noggin. i wrote "FOLD" on one of the short sides, so i can line up any desired motif on the fold before cutting ::

now gather your materials ::

your pattern
2 fabrics the intended wearer will especially love
one elastic hairband

use the pattern to cut out two triangles of fabric for the hairkerchief - remember, you are cutting a double layer of each fabric with the folded edge where the pattern indicates. this is fully reversible, so try to make them complimentary ::

put the triangles RS together and using a 1/4" seam allowance, stitch all the way around the perimeter of the triangle - but leaving a 2"-3" opening along the long side. (backstitch at both the beginning and end.)

trim the corners ::

now reach up inside that 2"-3" opening and turn the piece RS out.

find something interesting - such as a bone folder, chopstick, or hair stick - to push into the corners ::

once you have the triangle in its proper shape, press it with a hot iron.

using the hot iron again to press the bottom edge upwards about 5/8".

as i said, this hairkerchief is fully reversible, so when you do this step, consider which side you would like to have plain, and which you'd like the edge of fabric from the other side peeking over.

get the elastic hairband and head to the sewing machine to finish up ::

start at the one end with the elastic hairband tucked under that fold. push the presser foot on top of the folded edge and against the hairband as close as possible, then move your needle as far to that side as possible for stitching. backstitch at the beginning and then slowly stitch down that folded edge.

i did not pin this in place, because i didn't want the bunched up pins + fabric poking me while i was sewing. just work slowly - you will gently tuck the hairband inside that fold as you go, and also stitch shut that opening you used to turn the whole thing RS out. pretty cool ::