I am always on the search for a good headband to wear to the gym. I always notice what other people wear while they workout and have been known a time or two to compliment people in my classes on theirs and ask where they got them. (Yes, the picture was taken post-workout...forgive my grossness.)
Sometimes headbands are simply too tight. Sometimes they aren't thick enough. Sometimes they always slip and have to be continually adjusted. So the other day when I pulled out my stash of hair accessory that I never wear and actually selected one...I realized how easily it could be copied and altered to be perfect for a workout.
I wanted some fabric that was stretchy and workout-ish. On my first search in Wal-Mart's convenient but hardly great selection, I didn't quite find what I wanted. But I purchased a gray print that had a slight stretch to it. Plus it was really cute!
Later I was completing errands at Target and noticed a HUGE selection of back-to-school book covers were on clearance. I looked through them for a minute before I realized that fabric would probably be PERFECT for my workout headbands. So I selected 5 covers for 2o cents each. I've completed a couple so far and have successfully tested them at the gym. Grade = A+
Materials:
*Any fabric (stretch is good for workouts) cut to be about 14 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide
*Elastic, at least 4 inches: Feel free to find a width you like best. Mine was 1/2 inch wide. This is easily found at Wal-mart and such, although they might not have great color selection. (Mine is white; I would have preferred black.)
*Needles and thread
I completed mine by hand which makes for a quick project...but even quicker if you have a sewing machine. I am not so lucky.
Steps:
Start with the 14 in x 6 in piece of fabric. Again, pick a fabric you are comfortable with. Another reason I like the stretch fabric (I don't know exactly what its components are) is that you don't have to hem the edges, and it won't fray.
Get your 4 inch piece of elastic and needle and thread (or quickly use a sewing machine) and start piecing it together. I like going UP through the elastic and fabric and looping it back around. (I'm not great on sewing terms, so I hope that makes sense :P)
Because the headband is so much thicker than the band, space your stiches about a 1/2 inch apart. It will gather the excess fabric nicely together.
Complete sewing each end of the fabric to an end of the elastic. Make sure you don't twist the elastic or the fabric.
This project took a mediocre seamstress like myself about 10 minutes of stitching. It's quick and easy!!!
Remember, this project is completely customizable. My head really might be larger than yours!! If you like less elastic showing, you can make the fabric part longer and use less elastic. Don't worry too much about cutting your fabric; if you feel the band is too big for your head, you can undo one side of the stitching and cut the elastic. If it's too small, you can replace the elastic with a longer piece. I've also experimented with a wider width of fabric for more layers or a thicker head wrap look (green).
