Re-purposing: Tshirts into 5-strand-braided-headbands
Posted by Ashley 
456 Comments
I was walking through Target a few weeks ago and noticed this little knit fabric headband that was not just braided together…….but woven. I decided they were charging way too much for something that could be made with t-shirt scraps. And that means free.
So there you have it. A nice and easy project to give my bad-hair-day head some love.
(Or you may need one for working out. Or washing your face. Or while putting on your make-up.)
I kinda love it on my little girl . And she does too……because it’s stretchy, soft, and cozy. Win-win.
She always has little hair fly-aways that get into her face…….and this helps with that problem.
It even works great with her hair down…..and keeps that hair tucked behind her ears.
And yep, good for me too.
Thanks little t-shirt scraps.
Want to make your own?
First, find some old t-shirts. Or buy some jersey knit. Either way works.
Then, cut your fabric into long strips. I made my strips about twice as long as the measurement around my (or my daughter’s) head. The thick headband strips are about 2 inches wide and the narrow headband strips are about a 1/3 inch wide. You’ll need 5 long strips for one headband.
Next, stack your 5 strips on top of each other and sew together at one end. (Or hand stitch them or glue them.)
Now, pull on each strip of fabric so that they kind of curl on the edges.
Then lay your strips with the sewn edge up at the top (tape this down if that will help you while braiding) and then split up the strips into 3 on the left side and 2 strips on the right.
Now, to create this 5 strand braid……..you’ll kind of be braiding on the left side and then braiding on the right. And then back and forth until you’re done.
But let me explain a little better.
First, you’ll work on the left side. So grab the strip all the way on the left (pic #1) and cross if over the strip right next to it on the right(pic #2). Then grab the strip furthest to the right of this section (pic #3) and cross it over one strip to the left (pic #4). Now grab the middle of all 5 strips (pic #5) and bring it over the the right side (pic #6) so that you can start braiding on the right side. Now you have your strips separated into 2 strips on the left and 3 strips on the right…….but opposite from the beginning.
Now, you’re going to do the same thing on the right side………just mirrored from what we did the first time. So grab the strip all the way on the right (pic #1) and cross if over the strip right next to it on the left (pic #2). Then grab the strip furthest to the left of this section (pic #3) and cross it over one strip to the right (pic #4). Now grab the middle of all 5 strips (pic #5) and bring it over the the left side (pic #6) so that you can start braiding on the left side again.
**Something to remember: When you’re working on the left side or on the right side……..you’ll always start with the strip on the outside. So if you’re working on the left side……grab the strip all the way on the outside on the left. If you’re working on braiding on the right side…….start with the strip all the way on the outside on the right.
So, start again from the very beginning and work on the left side again (pics #1-5) and then on the right side again (pics #6-10).
You’ll need to adjust the tightness as you go and may have to tighten individual strips here or there.
Keep on braiding and braiding……keeping the tension about the same all the way down.
When you get to the end (or as long as you need it)……..sew (or hand-stitch or glue) the ends in place.
Then overlap the ends together and sew (or glue) in place.
**Before attaching, remember that knit will stretch and the woven design allows for stretch. So you want to make this headband smaller than your head so that it hugs your head and stays in place.
To finish it off (and cover up the ends), cut a rectangular piece of fabric that’s wider than the ends that you’ll need to cover. Fold the side edges in…….
And then stitch (or glue) one end on the inside of the headband.
Then wrap this piece of fabric around the headband, tuck the ends up……
And then stitch (or glue) this end down too.
And that’s it.
A nice and stretchy headband for you or a little girl you know.
Related posts:
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Apron Variation -
Embellished Tee with Ruffled Front and Cuffs -
Re-purposing: Tshirt into Dress (or Top) with Braided Straps -
Shaggy Heart Valentine's Dress with Heart Knee-Pad leggings (made from recycled Tshirts) -
Bay Leaf Wreath (year round decor)
So cute and easy!
Do you know how long the strips are?
I’m not sure- it just looks easy! But the post said to be about twice the circumference of your head.
yeah
Cut your tshirt in half & use the bottom horizontal part of the shirt & only use what you need .
depends how big is your head. you just measure it
they should be long enough to fit twice around your head
I agree! I did this and it turned out great!(:
these are so cute! i love them. perfect for soccer gals!!!! thanks so much for the directions.
so fun, so easy, and so cute!!
I don’t personally use headbands but have very young nieces who do and also make boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Thanks so much for sharing this cute, cute idea that can be made without any cost involved. Your instructions are very well written and easy to follow. I can’t wait to make some for my boxes this year. Bless You — and your daughter is beautiful!!!
That is so adorable! I love it! Great tutorial!
Thanks Ashley! It was so fun to meet you in TX!
Yay……..it was so fun to meet you too! When’s the next meet up?? :)
These look so cute and easy to wear! Thank you for all the pics. Gotta find some old t-shirts to cut up!
Thrift stores are a great place to look if you don’t have any old t-shirts in your closet.
Love this! Perfect timing too, I was just going to make a braided headband for my daughter for the 4th, now it’ll be even cuter! Thanks :)
I really love those and can’t wait to make some. I’m already imagining matching ones for my daughter and me. Thanks so much!
This is great! My favorite t-shirt just got a big hole in it, this will extend its life! Yay!
GENIUS! absolutely love this idea and the final result. you and your daughter make beautiful models :) thank you for sharing!! happy weekend to you!
I know right lol :)
Your little girl is so cute. So photogenic. And these headbands are great. I love free stuff! Score! Can’t wait to make my own.
Oh I needed something to go with a t shirt for a birthday gift for my niece. I think she would love this! Thanks for the tute, just in time! :)
Love it! :) I made one with 3 strands the other day but this is just fabulous! :) Off I go to make one for my niece! :) And maybe one for myself!! ;)
:)
Brilliant!! Those store bought ones always squeeze my apparently larger than average head :) making one now for my upcoming camping trip!! Yay! Thank you for the tutorial!!
I totally agree. Ones that I buy at the store are always too small or too big. Thanks!
SO cute! i’m seriously making this. and i have the perfect bright orange t-shirt in mind…
Cute, cute, cute! What a great headband! Looks great on the both of you too!
I want to make one for myself so badly, but I’m shamefully confused by the 5-strand braid. I’ll have to give it a go, though. Too cute not to.
I am making the headband now. At first I was confused but I realized that the numbers refer to the photos not the strands so hopefully that helps!
Thanks for clarifying for Kristina……hopefully that helps!
Hey Ashley!
This looks like so much fun to make! Also, that brown braided headband looks like its your hair…cool!
these are soo awesome! I would love one, perfect look with some sexy beach hair. :)
this is such a great idea! i must have a big head, or it’s oddly-shaped, because store-bought headbands are too little for me. i can’t wait to try this and get some headbands that actually stay on and don’t slip! thanks for sharing.
I agree with you, my head shape must be off. 99% of headbands(except for the plastic headbands with elastic on them for the back of your head, sold at the 99 cent stores) either hurt my head (the hard ones)or slip further + further back on the top + up at the bottom of my head(the stretched ones)
I also think your daughter is so cute + pretty. You must be so proud. She looks like a little lady.
I am so happy that I decided to check out this site, after posting on it. I love this tutorial.
Soooooooooooo cute! I made a fancy shirt for zumba the other day and have lots of extra left overs, now if I could figure out that braiding! haha :)
These are LOVELY! And I am so obsessed with headbands! :)
You always do amazing things. Thank you! :)
Such absolutely incredible timing!! I just made t-shirt yarn out of a bunch of old t-shirts and had the top section between the arm holes up to the neck area laying aside waiting for me to figure out what to do with them! That section would be perfect for a project like this! With all my hair I always need a good washable headband! Thanks so much for posting!
these are washable?
You always have something easy, nice and lovely….
Love your creativity! Thanks for the sharing…!~
My 11 year old just whipped up a cute pink one out of an old t-shirt of mine! I read the tutorial to her while she braided away…thanks for giving us a fun activity to do together! I was amazed at how quickly her little fingers were braiding away, while I was still trying to make sense of it in my head. Haha! Not the fault of your tutorial (which was awesome!) but I guess I don’t pick things up as quickly as an 11 year old! :) Thanks so much!
….and she’s now asking me to get some red, white & blue fabric so she can make a bunch for the kids she is walking in a parade with, on the 4th. Look what you’ve gone and started! ;-)
Oh my word, how cute is she!!! Those little minds amaze me! I’m glad it gave you guys something to do together. Sweet.
Ashley
love it!
Those dimples on E! Soooo cute. It was fun to talk to you the other day.
Yay…….it was so fun!!!! Talk to you soon, I’m sure! :)
I definitely need to make some of these for myself and my daughter! I’m trying to grow my hair out and was thinking of getting it cut short…if I can get these headbands made, it may save me from cutting my hair off!!!
Genius! Soooo Cute!
I can’t wait to try these! Super cute!
Ooooo..I know what I’m doing tomorrow! Love it
I just put a shirt in the give away pile that I will have to pull back out.
Already made one I loved them so much! :) Great tutorial! Very easy to follow! I can’t wait to get more colors!
clever
These are great! I’m definitely pinning these for later, thanks for sharing!
This is very cool … my little jazz has also same problem ..a lots of fly aways…this is a great tutorials thanks.. im gonna try it out today …
Love these! I am going to make some for my girls.
Sooo cute !!! I love the idea !
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing. I will try these out for my granddaughter.
I cant wait to try this. So darling!
I did a tute on Blissful and Domestic for a three strand braided hair band, but I am loving your 5 strand one. I think I will ahve to try this one out.:>
This is awesome! I was at Target the other day and saw those and thought the same thing, but there’s no way I could have figured out how to make them. Thanks for the tutorial!
I love these. I can’t wait to make them. Thanks for figuring it out for all of us! This will also be a great craft project for my daughter’s birthday party!
so cute! I can’t wait to try this out.
Just made a couple of braided bracelet cuffs using this tutorial. So fun and lightweight- THANKS!
good idea Rachel! ….Oooh you could do one with a lot more than 5 strands and get a fat cuff bracelet. Nice!
Yes, I think 8 or 10 of the 2″ strands would give you a 2 1/2 inch cuff. Pretty thick. Mine (with 5 strands) came out to be just over an inch thick.
Oooh, cute idea! Love that you made it into a cuff!
Amei muito lindo,!!!
abraços!
Just finished a red one for my daughter, and she loves it. The first one is a bit ragged, but I think in the subsequent ones I plan on making I can fine-tune them. Thanks so much for sharing, these are brilliant.
I linked this up to my blog to be posted on on Saturday!
Love the headbands!!! And love the look of the blog! So fun!
Wow! Who knew it was so easy to get that woven look?! Definitely making one of these ASAP. Hot weather and no AC means lots of ponytails:)
What did you do about the seam? It looks like you cut from the body of the shirt and to make it big enough wouldn’t you hit the side seam of the shirt or did your shirts not have side seams? Any ideas how to get around that?
Just cut right through the seam and use the strip with the seam included. If you make the strip too narrow, you’ll need to reinforce that seam to keep the 2 pieces together. Otherwise, just cut through it and use it like the seam isn’t there.
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for sharing.
Tomorrow I am going inside my closet and try to find some t-shirts to make some :)
Thanks for the tutorial. I will have to make these for my two granddaughters. I couldn’t help but notice how cute your daughters shirt is. Love that hat. Your daughter is just precious.
If I didn’t already have the YW camp crafts decided, I would be doing this. Instead I’ll just bookmark it for next year. (By the way, I’m in Robin’s ward.)
Haha……..how funny. Tell Robin Hi!!! Have fun at camp!
Just made one for my DD and it was great. Thank you so much for posting this. I now am going to make myself. one.
Thanks so much!
this is completely brilliant! thanks for sharing!!
This is an excellent tutorial. They look so pretty! Thanks!
Oh I LOVE these. Now I have something to do with all those old shirts I kept! Thanks for sharing!
Yeh! Love to repurpose!
did you have to piece your strips together? Measuring my head and doubling it makes it 46 inches. My tshirts are smaller than that.
please advise
Just cut right through the seam and use the strip. If you make the strip too narrow, you’ll need to reinforce that seam to keep the 2 pieces together. Otherwise, just cut through it and use it like the seam isn’t there.
Hope that helps!
I’m having the same problem. Measuring my tween daughter, I think I would need 44 inch strips. My t-shirts are nowhere near that wide even if I cut all the way around the front and the back.
I found this project two days ago and can’t stop making them! Thanks for the tutorial!
Just found this today, Of course I had to drop everything & try it! Gray headband on my 14 year old’s head now (wow Mom! That’s cute!) and many more to come. Going to teach her to make them with me. Thanks for the great idea
This was an awesome idea…..Kids, grandkids, moms and grammas….what a fun girl-time project!!!! Thank you.
Louise
SlaveToMyNeedles
I just made 2! This is my new favorite headband. (your fabric headband had been my #1)
Everything I make from this site, I absolutely LOVE! :)
this is such a great idea for all of my old t-shirts i don’t fit anymore. i love it!
Fantastic! What a great idea for old shirts!
Okay, I guess I’m short (okay, I know I’m short) but where did you find t-shirts long enough to go around your heads? My daughter’s head measured 21 inches and my t-shirts are not anywhere near that long.
I used the base of the shirt (so the width of the shirt…..not the height) and so you can use the length all the way around the shirt. Even if there are side seams, cut right through and use it. If the strip is narrow and there was a side seam, resew that side seam in place so that it doesn’t unravel.
i saw these too and said to myself I’ll just wait until make it and love it blog shows me how to do it!!! and you DID!!! hahah this is awesome thanks!!!!!
Can’t wait til I try, thank you so much for sharing the idea and process. Little one will be happy with it.
I love that you say “or glue” because I don’t sew a darn thing!
I used this to make a headband for my little girl, and put a fabric flower on it to embellish it a little. And of course my son wanted me to braid him a super-hero belt/ ninja headband. :)
Thanks for the great tutorial- I could not have figured out how to braid the strands without it!
Thank you so much for this great tutorial! My head doesn’t like headbands and so I adapted it to be a bracelet. Super Fun!
So cute and fun! I adapted it to be a bracelet and it worked out great!
I didn’t have my laptop in front of me and started this with only four strips. It actually came out great once I figured it out. I braided under on one side and braided under on the other. Looks great.
I guess next time I should read more carefully, but I love happy mistakes…
oops over on one side and under on the other.
Oh my goodness this is so flippin’ cute! Thanks for the tute :)
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I can’t wait to try it.
I just wanted to say thank you for such a detailed tutorial. I’ve never done a 5 strand braid before. I posted a link on my blog under things I’d like to make. Thanks again!
I LOVE this so much!!
I have posted a link to it on my blog.
:)
http://www.craftedblog.com
Dom.
x
So cute!
This just makes me happy. Creative downtime…it’s exactly what I need!
I really like it! Great tutorial!
This is such a cute idea. I got confused on your braiding directions so I looked it up on youtube…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlhTICwoRjo
Actually I figured out your directions. That video isn’t as good as I thought it would, so I wouldn’t use it.
Awww, sorry about that. That’s a good video but a little different technique……it doesn’t quite give a woven look. More of a regular braided look. But it will still be cute. Good luck!!
Ashley
Oh sorry, I just noticed you had an updated comment about the video. Sorry it didn’t work out but glad you figured out my directions above!! :)
Quick question…I’m in the middle of making one of these – but for some reason the fabric won’t “curl”??? Which way is the grain supposed to go? I’m using 100% cotton t-shirt material….that should be ok, right? Thanks!!
Which way are you stretching…Length or width?
Length…but it def. doesn’t curl – even though it’s from a t-shirt…when you stretch it, the ends look almost frayed…any ideas on what I might be doing wrong? :)
Try cutting it width-ways. Maybe that will help it stretch and curl a bit. But even if it doesn’t curl……you can still use it. Let me know how it goes!
Ashley
Neither way curled….weird. Anyways, I did try it without the fabric curling and it didn’t work out too well…looked rather disheveled. :) I did find another t-shirt though that was made from a lighter, stretchier fabric and this one did what it was supposed to. Though…it still didn’t look near as cute as yours do. :) The weaving was kind of uneven I guess…had trouble keeping it all at the same tension! Thanks for the advice though…and the fun tutorial to try.
Some knit dose not curl no matter what direction you cut it. I have made lots of braided headbands and bracelets in the past and found the same thing with some t’s. Very thin knit curls the best. It dose not work unless it curls. Try it again with a knit that curls and you will be hooked, it is lots of fun. I have only tried tradiitional braids but I am looking forward to tring this one with 5 strands.
I linked this up to my blog. Thanks!!!
This was an adorable idea. I made one, but yours looked much nicer. Mine wasn’t very even…kinda lumpy.
I mean uneven..def not even
Any suggestions?
I just made four of these for my girls from my favorite yucky old Tshirt that I just couldn’t bear to part with. What a wonderful repurposing of a favorite item. The paint and stains don’t even show up in the adorable head bands and my girls are begging me for more. Thank you for your shared genius!
Good idea ! Sometime I ask myself what can I do with old tee-shirts. My daughters will love this ! Thank you !
What a great tutorial for the 5-strand braid! I absolutely loved learning to make this.
Mine didn’t turn out as cute as yours :( I think my tshirt was too thick!
Muhteşem bir geridönüşüm olmus ellerinize saglık. Türkiye’den sevgiler
Love the headbands, but the shirt she is wearing is just too cute. Did you make it if so how. It is adorable. would love to make one for my granddaughters.
Lu Lu
Yes, I added the stuff to the front of the shirt…….check it out here: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2011/01/more-with-silhouette-freezer-paper.html
Beauteful idea
I have to say your pictures are fabulous on your blog! I am sure it is somewhere on your blog but what camera do you use? This tutorial is great! So cute!!!
Thank you for this tutorial. I’m wearing mine now and love it!
I executed your headband and blogged about it!
http://joyfulmusings.com/2011/07/15/5-strand-braided-headbands/
Check it out!
Such a great idea for repurposing all my old t-shirts! Enjoyed this post!!
I just finished mine and it’s so pretty. Thanks for the idea!!
What a great tutorial ..thank you so much for sharing I had a great time making these for my 12 yr old. I have re-blogged this to share.
I made one for myself today and LOVE how it turned out. Tomorrow, I’m teaching my two girls have to make them and then we’re going to go on a headband making frenzy just in time for school! Thanks for the tutorial!
I love this!! I am going to have to try this with my girls!!
Thanks for this! It is so easy – once I figured out the numbers referred to the pictures and not the strands :)
Love this!!! It’s almost like this bracelt. Here is the website that I found…http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2011/03/v-and-co-how-to-jersey-knit-bracelet.html
Gotta make these!! Thank you!!
Found this on pinterest! Made my first (wide) headband last night – out of an old white t-shirt. Love it! Will have to make more now, in different colors. Thanks for teaching me the 5-strand braid!!!
This is the greatest thing to ever happen to an old T-shirt! I just made a pink one. I have 4 girls so we are going to be busy do this fun project!
Are the narrow headband strip really only 1/3 inch, whereas the wider ones are 2 ” strips. Seems like a big difference, and they look almost the same width… Or is it 1 1/3 inch for the narrow ones…. Just about to cut my fabric. Thanks!
About the cutest thing ever!
You’ve been featured on Fabulousity Friday at Sweet Tea Serendipity. Come & pick up your award here: http://sweetteaserendipity.blogspot.com/2011/08/fabulousity-friday-7.html
I made one of these this morning with my Mom. It turned out AWESOME! It’s so much fun to braid too. I made a lavenderish purple one! I wish i could show you! I’m so excited to wear it. THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this!
I love these, so cute! Can’t wait to make them and repost on my blog!
Thehemofhisgarment.wordpress.com
Sarah :)
I featured this post on my blog hairstylesbymommy.com Love the idea!! Cheap and super cute! Thanks!!!
i just tried and i had the same problem as someone else mentioned above. my tee shirt fabric didn’t curl, so it didn’t really work. just looked messy and twisted up. just looked and it is 100% cotton. was nice and stretchy so i thought it would be okay but i guess i’ll try again when i find another shirt that will work :)
I made two of these yesterday, they stretch wonderfully and the braid was really easy to learn. LOVE IT! :) Thank you so much for providing this site for us all the enjoy!
Loved this idea! Thanks for sharing. I posted my results onto my blog: http://kikisworld0317.blogspot.com/2011/08/headbands-made-from-t-shirt-material.html
I just made this and it turned out great!! Going by these instructions, I ended up having enough material to make 2 headbands so if you just want to make one you might consider making the strands a little shorter.
I love it!! I’ve used this concept for bracelets and for straps for a pillowcase dress: http://gluegunsandspatulas.blogspot.com/2011/08/pillowcase-dress.html
Made a bracelet today after seeing your turorial. I didn’t read it just looked a the braid. I came up with an easier, I think anyway, way to braid/weave the 5 strands. Much less steps. Posted it on my blog, and linked back since I do love how you finished it all.
http://karascreativeplace.blogspot.com/2011/08/five-strand-woven-or-braided-t-shirt.html
I think this idea is great and will try it for myself :) THANKS
I think this is great. I will be trying it for myself. THANKS
I kinda love it on your little girl too! I made one of the thin ones yesterday and it turned out thick. I don’t think i used the right kind of knit.
First, thank you for such a great idea! Second, thank you for such clear, amazing instructions! I helped my 13-year-old make one, then made one for myself. We both have thick hair and tender heads, so it’s hard to find headbands that don’t give a headache. Being able to do a custom fit has made a BIG difference! I’ve had mine on for hours and even forgot I had it on! When I realized I did, I just HAD to come back and thank you! :D
I think this is a great idea. Also, would be a great fundraiser for kids at school
Thanks! just made it and it’s super easy and cute :)
What a great tutorial – thanks for sharing it! I had so much fun making a headband and can’t wait to make more. I just posted about it at my blog and linked back to you!
http://swellchel.blogspot.com/2011/09/crafts-jersey-fabric-braided-bracelet.html
My 10 year old granddaughter loved these, but she made hers with three instead of five. It was a bit easier for her first ones. Next time she’s here, she wants to try the five strips. Thank you for posting these.
I am definitely going to give this a try… What a great way to recycle t shirts and accessorize at the same time.
This looks fun and easy! Is the 5-strrand the only one that you’ve made?
This tutorial is marvellous!! Thank you so much!
AWESOME! I can’t wait to do this =) Thanks for sharing!
AWESOME! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing =)
What a cool project, can’t wait to cut-up my daughter’s outgrown Abercrombie t-shirts!
I just made this and it’s adorable and functional! Thanks!
I used a tie-dye shirt (:
thanks for the tips!!
I soo love this idea – I have now ‘pinned’ this on my pinterest boards – i have to try this one day! I am now gfc following you, Karima (PS: saw this on stumble upon)
Thanks for teaching me how to braid! This is a lovely thing to do with old T-shirts!
I just made a pink one for me. I´m going to make another one with 5 different colours. :-)
I love this! Perfect for all the girls in my life. Nice tutorial too! Thanks for sharing
I absolutely love this. I’m a college student and have been looking for ways to make headbands and this one is by far the best! I hope I can make it as good as yours!!
I just wanted to let you know I included this in my 2011 Ultimate DIY Gift Guide (101 tutorials/recipes)! :) http://danimariedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/10/2011-ultimate-diy-gift-guide.html
I finally just tried these, and have made three headbands plus a matching bracelet and then embelished with buttons or flower for my daughters birthday. I have been following you for some time now and love your blog…thank you so much for taking the time to post all these tutorials for free. Bless you!
These really look cute. Can’t wait to try it out
This is such a great tutorial and so easy to understand! I have wanted to make one of these but I hadn’t found a good tutorial on how to make them. I can’t wait to try it now!!!
It would’ve been nice if you chose 5 different colours of fabric for the tutorial. I couldn’t follow what you were doing! I really want to make this too. They look so lovely.
Just finished making mine…. it was so EASY!!!! I’m not that great doing braids and your instructions helped so much!!!
your daughter is gorgeous by the way!
I must be braiding impaired. I think multi-color fabric strips in the tutorial would have helped me track the strips of cloth better. Still trying though, I love the idea. Perfect for my daughters school uniform. White, navy, and Green. Thanks
This would have been great if on the braiding you had used different colors, so we could have more easily followed the pattern :) Other than that it is great.
I’m probably the least crafty person out there, but this headband really had me. My two daughters LOVE headbands so I thought I’d give this a whirl. To my surprise it turned out GREAT. Thank you!! I will be making many more, they are comfortable and so inexpensive! Thank you, thank you! If you feel like popping over to my blog, I’m visiting from http://www.bargaingab.com.
Thanks fir the tutorial!!! I made the head band and added the Crushed Fabric Flower from another one of your tutorials and it turned out really cute. Thank you!
I made these for two of my friends and they loved them thank you!
ABSOLUELY Adorable!!!
This is a great idea, and if anyone needs a catchphrase to remember the weaving order, try “outside over, inside over. Switch!” :) this helped me get it down fast ha ha. Thanks for sharing your creation!
I just made one … or tried to. Yours looked much prettier than mine turned out. I pretty much got the braiding down, but mine was really loose. Maybe I just need to braid better? I’m not really sure. One question – should the length of the strips of fabric be 2x the size of my head before or after stretching them so they curl at the ends? I cut mine 2x the size before stretching them out and I had a lot of extra braided fabric at the end.
Love it. Will be making some for grandkids for xmas.
This is awesome. I can see them being a little wider, braided with team colors and worn like ear muff/bands at football games and such! My mind is already racing! Thanks!
that is so cool I really want to try it! thanks allot.
I really like to make stuff, like dolphins and head bandsstuff like that
thanks again
tha’ts is so cool
I really liked all of your ideas
I also like to sow allot
I have make stuffed dolphins lots of hair flowers and headbands
thanks
That’s the best instruction I every see!
Love this repurposing project. I included it in my DIY Gift Project section of my blog http://craftbliss.com/diy-gift-tutorials/ and linked back to you. Thanks! ~Dee
Oo fun! Can’t wait to start making these!
Does it look at cute with more than one color?
This Was Amazing!!
Hi, I bought new Tshirt material & I can’t get the fabric to curl. Doesn’t look good at all when done. How can I get it to curl? Pulling on it did nothing but stretch it. Any suggestions
Wow I am SO going to make this and making sew a little fabric flower to spice it up. Thanks!!! I am thinking of throwing a girly girl fashion party and thinking of giving these as gifts. If you have any other crafty ideas of a DIY girly party, PLEASE share! :-) Thanks!!
Looks so cute. Unfortunately, our group did not succeed. Our fabric would not curl-is this why we were struggling? It also seems to be quite time consuming. What is going wrong?! :( :( :(
This was so easy! Thanks so much! I make them and give them as presents!
LOVE it!! Thanks so much for a well written tutorial.
Just made my first of hopefully many of these headbands. Just wondering if you ever used multiple colors on one headband? If so, does it matter the pattern of the colors in the initial stack? For instance, if you used 2 or 3 colors?
I found this on Pinterest, and I’m so excited to try it! I love headbands, and always wear one to Zumba, (or any class), so this will be perfect. Thanks for the easy to follow instructions!
whoever says this is easy is lying.
i just made this one combined with the full and textured fabric flower with the same t-shirt fabric and it turned out awsome!! love it!! <3 thankyou for sharing!!
Just stopping by to let you know that I’ve featured your craft on Family Fun Crafts! You can see it here:
http://funfamilycrafts.com/t-shirt-braided-headbands/
If you have other kid friendly crafts, I’d love it if you would submit them. :) If you would like to display a
featured button on your site, you can grab one from the right side bar of your post above.
Made one of these today. I used two different color tees in the same braid. It’s super cute, and I was really proud of myself when I finished it lol. However, it was a lot more work than I thought it would be. I think it might be worth it to just buy headbands at Target. Maybe if I had a sewing machine, it wouldn’t be so much work. Still a great idea though.
Made it and loving it, thank you so much for your tutorial. I’ve blogged about it too: http://bit.ly/zHN3Vp
Corra
These are super cute. It made me think about the pantyhose I use in my garden for tying plants to stakes, etc. Tee shirt material would work in same way.
From France
Thank you for this tutorial. I made one and it’s OK !
Love this idea!!!!
I’m going to try and make a bracelet using this tutorial! :)
I’m going to try And make a braceLet insteAd of a headband! :)
really pretty
Thanks so much for the GREAT idea & directions!!! I finally have a headband that doesn’t give me a headache. LOVE it! Will be making more!
I was just lamenting on my blog about expensive hair accessories at a shop. This headband looks great!! Hope I get the time to try it out =)
This is so cute! I just included it in my “Top 10 Things to Make Out of T-Shirts” post @ http://www.cheapcraftymama.com... feel free to stop by and grab a “featured” button!
can’t wait to try this i may try the thift stores for the t shirts. nice pictures.
Ty for this turorial..easy to follow and oh so cute…my granddaughter loves them and now wants one in every color!!!! I made some braxelets to match….
I just made 2 for my daughters. They turned out so cute! I mixed strands from a pink t and a purple t –love it!
Now my 11 year old wants to learn and make a matching bracelet. Great idea,
I wish you would do the instructions in different colors so it would be a little easier to follow
Okay so i just finished my 5 braided headband. It turned out awesome, thanks you sooo much I used to always buy headbands and end up wasting my money because they were big.
I so admire anyone who can look at something and figure it out!! You provide a great tutorial!! Wouldn’t this pattern also make cute little bracelets?
This is an excellent tutorial and I love that you don’t need to be able to sew that good in order to make it. I can’t wait to cut up my old jersey pillowcase to make one.
Pinned this on Pinterest! Love it!
Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing the tutorial. I’m pinning this…
Made these with my 7 year old this afternoon while she was home due to a snow day. Thanks for the great tutorial and such great details. We had fun and she loved the result. I just did a grey one and she already found an old pink t shirt that she wants to make another one with! Thanks!
Great tutorial! I included it in my roundup of fabulous and free headband tutorials and you can check it out here: http://darlingadventures.com/?p=470
Love your tutorial, I’ve made 1 for my 2 years old daughter last night, I added 3 yellow buttons make it cuter and I made one for my friend at work, both of them feel princess and love those and it made me so so happy. Thank you!
Hi Ashley,
Thanks heaps for this! I have finally come around to making one, just finished it – it was quite fun to make (enjoyed the braiding!) and it looks great. Now it’s time to see how it fares while I practice some yoga.
Thanks again :)
o my gosh. i didn’t think i would ever get it. i wanted to get it right so bad i kept trying and yahoo got it!!!
i never answer comments but just had to thank you for this info.
Love this idea!!!!! Going to try and make them for my daughter’s soccer team.
I did your tutorial and posted about it in my blog!! I linked back to you also! What a great tutorial!
http://ledesirirresistible.blogspot.com/2012/03/challenge-1.html
I love pickles :) and braided hairbands for softball :)
so cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this idea! I definitely need to see if I have any t-shirts lying around that I don’t mind cutting up!
ashliekristin.blogspot.com
I will be making these…. thank you sooo much for the simple idea!!!!
I LOVE this idea!!!!!!!
These are so cute :). I will be trying this !
thanks a lot…. lovely …. Blessings!
Awesome! I made mine out of a striped T, so it’s pretty neat-looking. A little ragged, but next time I’ll mark before I cut, so it should look neater once braided. Thanks for this!
head-smack time… i’ve been doing sailor and ornamental knotwork for years, i sweat like a water fall, been using pathetic makeshift sweat bands out of old t-shirts for years…and (arggh!) braiding one never once occured to me. what a great idea!
could you do this with different material? like canvas?
LOVE THIS!!!! I made a few tshirt scarves and have some pieces of tshirts laying around…Im totally making these!!!
This looks easy but it’s not
i love this! gonna do this after school tomorrow (: i’ve always wanted to wear an elastic headband across my forehead like the girls at my school, but i’ll settle for more original (;
I tried this! Mine did not come out as perfect, but still is wearable and cute! Love!
Awesome! I can’t wait to try this! I’m always trying to find cute headbands for working out, and just for everyday. But, most headbands end up slipping off.
This looks awesome though! I definitely am going to try it!
But, question, can you use any kind of T-Shirt material, or does it have to be the stretchy jersey knit? I assume if it’s not jersey knit, it won’t be as stretchy….
Also, I was thinking, if you wanted to make one for someone else but weren’t sure about the size fitting right or not,
you could always just make the fabric a little bit longer, stitch the end close to the braid, but leave it unstitched on the other side, and then they could always just tie the two straps to fit their head.
Although, the way you have posted looks much neater. But, if you aren’t sure about sizes, I think leaving it longer and just tying the two ends will work. :)
I just made this and i love it!!! so making more in the future! :D
just made a bright green one..Love it! It doubles as a necklace when I don”t want my hair up>
Thanks for the great tutorial! The headband is so cute, and your daughter is a lovely model!
:/ mine was rlly thick… did i do something wrong?
that happend to me too, you should cut the strips in half and make them smaller like in the picture, when your following the details.
I really need to do this!!!!
Thanks so much for this! I did it and posted the results on my blog. I did a ribbon instead of the t-shirt material to cover the seam so I could have the option of putting clips on it.
http://polkadotpocket.blogspot.com/2012/04/t-shirt-braided-headbands.html
Thanks for sharing this. :)
When you get to the last part, if you wrap the scrap around the part you are wanting to cover up, do it inside out, then sew across the patch as close as you can to the braid, then cut off the excess and flip it over, one seam, a lot less sewing, and it can be adjusted after turning it right side out to exactly where you want it, then if you want to, tack it down with glue or stitches.
pretty cute! I love it!
Thank you for this tutorial, I actually learned how to braid with 5 strands! :D
But the problem is that the cloth I used was a bit too thick, so my hairband turned out too think to wear on my head.
Do you have any other suggestion for what I can do with it now? I really don’t want to waste my hard work.
Thanks
I absolutely love this idea….Just made a pink one in about 20 minutes….so easy! Using the leftover ends for a bracelet. Thanks so much for the great tutorial.
Love this! I found the sleeve to be perfect for the square to finish it off with.
I found this tutorial through Pinterest a few weeks ago and decided to give it a try tonight. I ended up just tying a knot instead of sewing the ends together (too lazy to get out the sewing machine!) and had this project completed in about ten minutes. The knot also allowed me to readjust my headband after trying it on to make sure I got the perfect fit. Perfect for summer– can’t wait to make more for me and my sis!
This excellent tutorial saved me last week as I had very little time to come up with a kindergarten Greek goddess costume. Thanks to your five-stranded braid instructions, I pulled together something cute in no time at all. Thanks so much!
http://www.greatjencreations.com/2012/05/greek-goddess.html
I made one for my daughter yesterday. She got many compliments when she wore it to school today! Thanks!
What kind of glue would you use? I absolutely hate sewing. I don’t have a machine so i’d have to do it by hand.
Hot glue?
My mom gave me this glue called Liquid Stitch which I used for mine… It works really good, and I use it all the time since I’m not the best at hand stitching…
Great site. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to several friends ans additionally sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you to your sweat!
just made one! So easy and sooo adorable! Thanks for the tutorial!!!
Such a cool weave/braid! I tried with on yarn, mostly because I don’t have shirt strips that are double the length of my 23 inch head. Have you ever tried braiding your daughters hair this way?? This would be awesome for bracelets too (with embroidery floss or anything)! Thanks!
wow…. very creative.. I’m excited to make my one..
have you ever tried doing this with a pattered fabric?
Followed your instructions & made myself 3 of these awesome headbands (http://valzcorner.blogspot.com/2012/06/t-shirt-yarn.html if you want to take a look).
This was a really nice tutorial – I’ve put a link to this post on my blog. Thank you so much!
I followed your instructions & made myself 3 of these headbands.
I’ve also put a link to this tutorial on my blog – this is a really nice pattern.
Thank you!
This is so cute! Making one for my babies today!
I love my new headbands! And since I made them to fit me I finally have headbands that stay on my head!!
Found your tutorial on pinterest about 20 minutes ago and I’m already done with this project. My daughter (nearly 3) hates having her hair washed, brushed or even looked at, but she loves this headband. Maybe now she’ll be able to see! Thanks for the tutorial!
Thank you for sharing! :D They look comfortable and unique.
Love the idea… So cute and simple.. So, I’m planning on doing a headband soon… Just wondering, after you cut the 5 strips, do you cut each of them in half so that its twice as long or you don’t have to?
i made two of them and i love them. they r also great for dancers hair because they dont fall out like alot of headbands do
So cute!! I was wondering what order I should put the strands when using two colors? Even though there are 5 strands it looks like there are only 4 squares in each diagonal line. I’m asking because me and my girlfriends are going to FL in a few months and are going to universal to see harry potter section. We thought it would be fun to each go as a house and I would love one of these with my Hufflepuff colors, just not all over the place, a bit more uniform like the ties and scarfs in the movies. Thanks a bunch!
can I make 3 strand-braided-headbands? its easier. with 6 strand is cutier but harder to make. btw, thanks Ashley!
Hi! My name is Melissa from melissapuliphotography.blogspot.com
I love your headband tutorial and have made quite a few! Thank you!
I’m also going to share your link on my blog in an upcoming ‘handmade’ blog!
Thank you so much again!!
Love these! I call mine “messy braid hair bands” because I’m pulling the fabric as much as possible to reduce the amount of stretching that happens after the band is made – but this is causing the ends to really look messy as they unravel. I still did make the headband a bit smaller to allow for stretching – any comments here? (anyone?). Thanks for the awesome pictures!
Do they stay on your head good?
Muchisimas gracias. Mi hijo y yo hemos hecho una esta tarde, queda genial y siguiendo tus pasos es muy facil.
I cut off the hem of some tooo long jammie bottoms and used that for a headband. Matches my jammies !!
This is a terrible tutorial. I had to squint to see the pictures, and even then I couldn’t follow the steps. I kept getting confused on which strand she was using at certain times.
Personally, my braid looks better.
awesome tutorial, thanks for sharing
These are so awesome and super fun to make! I made my own last night and i love it! :) Thank so much for the step-by-step directions and pics!
this is so fantastic that i added a link to it on my blog. you can find it here http://www.chappellavenue.blogspot.com Please let me know if you would like it removed. and keep up the great work
hard and confusing:(
How much shorter do you make the final headband after braided? I’m trying to make for my niece who isn’t with me… I have her head measurement but need to know how much to take off so it fits right when it stretches…is an inch enough? Thanks!
ooooh def going to make
I did this with some scraps of an old white t-shirt and it turned out amazing! I plan to make more of these so i can throw them on before school to make my bad-hair day a little better!
So awesome. I ended up making one of these just to try it and decided it would make an awesome belt for my little guy, so I added a side lock clasp (like the seat belts at the grocery store). He’s 5 so this works great easy operation for him. Anyway thanks for the awesome tutorials! Love this site!
loved this tutorial very easy to follow. i see endless possibilitys with this weaving technique.Thank you……
I tried this with my granddaughter and she loved it!! It’s nice with a sock bun to hold the loose flies in place!!
Thanks a lot for that tutorial ! I made several of them and added flowers on them to make them even more girly. I’ve added a link to this tutorial on my blog : sewingpot.blogspot.com ! See you soon !
I used your braiding technique to make curtain tie backs. They turned out pretty cool! I’d love for to take a look if you have a spare moment. :-)
http://takingtimetocreate.blogspot.com/2012/09/braided-curtain-tie-backs.html
Had pinned this a while ago, and now am helping a friend with some gifts. This was so easy. Thanks for the awesome explanation, couldn’t be any clearer!
Hi, I love the idea. Thank you for sharing it with us! I just tried it out today and it turned out ok, yours is better. Thank you! Have a nice day! (:
Very very helpful and detailed tutorial! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to get started on mine. It’ll be beautiful.
qex
I just wanted you to know I featured your t-shirt to head band tutorial on my recent post about 10 ten ways to re-purpose t-shirts: http://thedomesticatedprincess.blogspot.com/2012/10/from-t-shirt-to-treasure-part-1.html.
What a great tutorial! Very easy to understand and great pictures! These headbands look so sweet! I might need to make some for my girls…and myself! :)
Just found this and I must say my daughter will love these. The only problem, I can’t sew. What type of glue can be used?
i used all different colors and its so cute! Ill be startinng a new trend at my high scool thanks to this!
I loved this!! I literally just sat down and made one. It turned out great. I picked out shirts that match my scrubs for work. I also made my little sister one. She loves it!!! Great tutorial! Thanks :))
I thought you posted that these were a “no sew” project?
I explained in the instructions that rather than sewing like I did, you could also use glue to secure the ends. And if someone chooses to go the glue route, it would then be a “no sew” project. It’s helpful to those searching for “no sew” projects, if something like this can be easily altered to qualify.
-Ashley
thank you very very much for this clear and simple diy! I’ll do it for my girls!!
It’s so cute!! Just have to find the good colors, now!!
Sarita
these look great!!! they have the same design at dick’s for $12 but that is not worth it when u can make them!!!! thx ashley
Hi.
Excellent work: Impressive and easy enough to even teach kids. Besides being useful, improving their finger control and concentration, they will enjoy their creation: Good as Gifts from children on Christmas or even as Birthday return gifts.
Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous peaceful New Year to All
This would also work great as a way to cover up the bodice/skirt seams on a dress, or as straps for a tank top, or even as a belt or ties for a dress. Or for a drawstring pouch or backback. With little tassles at the enf! Thanks for such an awesome site with tutorials. I have a sewing machine and a serger and am a thrift shopaholic, so this blog is perfect for me. Not to mention my daughter has tons of clothes I can’t bear to part with but she’s outgrown. Now I don’t have to throw them away!!
What a CUTE idea!! I make hats & scarves using the Knifty Knitter looms. And I have been trying to figure out a way to make headbands. I can make these and then put the flowers that I make to go onto my hats and scarves onto the headband!!
WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just made one out of a thin, bright red sweater that ripped. It’s so cute! Thanks for posting this.
Oh my goodness!!! I LOVE THIS TUTORIAL!!!!!!!! I made some of these today and they are the neatest things to make. I can’t wait to make some more!! I had some knit fabric so that’s what’s I uses. I also tried using a t shirt but I couldn’t get it to curl right. I’m not sure if I had the wrong kind or what but anyways I absolutely love them so I don’t really care right now. Thank you so much!!:)
Hi! This is a great idea, so I linked it on my blog (http://freshtrash.blog.com/), I hope you dont mind! Feel free to stop by!
Cheers!
Wearing my own home made one as I type! Thank you for the great tutorial, I’ll be braiding weird things now…
I’ve just made one, well I should have been making supper for my children and couldn’t resist. I’m wearing it now to make supper . . . made my day, thank you so much for posting this idea.
How about a belt?
Yes, that would be so cute too! :)
Great idea!
now i want to make a belt. :)
idea is superb, please share its making too
Thank you!!!