Scrunchies

Summer vacation is winding down here in Japan. Throughout August I wasn't quite sure who was coming for English and who wasn't so two of my classes turned into sewing and cooking.

This will be the last of the children's crafts posts for awhile.

On Tuesday afternoon I had two sisters (they made the little bears a couple of weeks ago) coming but even at Tuesday noon I hadn't decided what I was going to do with them that day. Not a very conscientious teacher am I. BUT at 1:30 my friend Mrs. Ide came for English and brought with her fabric and proceeded to teach me how to make SCRUNCHIES! Talk about God's blessings! She didn't know anything about my dilemma!

Scrunchies are probably the easiest thing we've made but just right for two young girls who have never used a sewing machine before.

Cut a piece of cloth 22" by 5" and fold it in half width wise.









With seam side down, bring the top layer of fabric to the center and SCRUNCH! (Another reason for the name?)







Bring the bottom layer of fabric up and around the scrunched area and with the right sides together sew the seam and as far as you can without catching the scrunched inner fabric.







Here's the fun part. PULL the center scrunched part out toward you as far as it will go and scrunch it to the center (near the left side fold) and continue sewing the edges together. Don't catch the scrunched part!








Keep repeating until you get back to the seam but leave an inch or so opening.











Turn the scrunchie right side out and thread a 10" piece of elastic through and tie.








Fold the opening edges inside and top stitch closed.


Ta-Da! A scrunchie!



When Mrs. Ide heard that I was going to make these right away with my girls she sent over more pre-cut fabric for scrunchies and some with lace already sewn on to make some ultra feminine ones. Ohh! The girls jumped at those!



I told them to each make a regular one with me instructing them and then when they had the hang of it to try their hand with the lace ones.





They really whizzed and they were both able to make two scrunchies in the hour time.



These girls are smilers and I could tell they were really happy with their scrunchies!

Anyone with daughters or nieces should give this a try. (And the girls said they were going to wear them sometimes as arm bracelets so I guess one doesn't even have to have long hair!)