Women Sewing Scrunchies-What Kind of Elastic to Use?

[Lyddie27]

Hi,

I've decided to start sewing scrunchies with the leftover strips of fabric from leo-making for some of my teammates! I just made a cute one using 1/4 inch elastic, but it's not stretchy enough. The scrunchies I've bought all have way stretchier elastic (especially snowflake and melody ones). Does anyone know what kind of elastic is inside them? Swimsuit? Knit? Woven?

I can feel that it's about 1/4 or 3/8 inch. I really don't want to cut open one of my scrunchies to find out, so I'm asking here. Also, does anyone have any experience just using a hair tie (maybe one of those silicone super-strength ones)? It seems easier to just buy a pack rather than measuring out and sewing circles of elastic.

Thanks!

PS-in case anyone is wondering, I cut a 22 inch by 3 inch strip of fabric, and serged the ends together. Then, I sewed a 6 inch piece of elastic into a circle, and folded the strip around it. I then serged around the outside edges, and voila! You don't even need 4-way stretch fabric (I found some really cool holographic fabric in the cosplay section of joann's that wasn't stretchy enough for a leo, but i still get to have it for a scrunchie!)

 

[sce]

I have not sewn scrunchies, but your description of how did it doesn't sound like how I understand them to be made. Check out this link: Link Removed

 

[Lyddie27]

That's, umm, not efficient and not well-suited for gym scrunchies. You don't want to spend your life pinning lycra and regular-machine stitching the small seams-these need to be made on a serger so that the seams will stretch and not pop. I know how to sew them together, just looking for advice on what material to use for the elastic

 

[claudidoll]

Your description is close to how I make scrunchies, only I don’t see the elastic together in a circle.

What I do is Serg the end pieces inside out and place the elastic on the top and bottom so, I serg the four layers together and the elastic is attached to the fabric.

I usually use 1/4 inch thick elastic but like you it’s not as stretchy as my dd’s gk ones.

I’ve tried using plain hair ties but they broke far to offer as my daughter and her team mates would over stretch them like they do with their other scrunchies.

If you find a solution I’d love to hear it

 

[Lyddie27]

Thank you!

I tried serging all 4 layers together but something would always slip out of place-perhaps i'll try serging one end of the elastic to each side, and then putting the two groups of elastic+fabric all together. That would definitely save time, and I hate stitching together two skinny pieces of elastic!

My guess is something like swimwear elastic or something more rubbery. I wonder if a silicone hair tie would be less likely to break (though I've no idea of its stretchiness):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scunci-T...49851&wl11=online&wl12=36793356&wl13=&veh=sem

I'm snowed in or I'd drive to the store to take a look. So frustrating to be missing just one thing for a snow day project!

 

[sce]

I wonder if leotard companies use the same elastic in scrunchies as they do in leotards. No idea what elastic that would be though.

 

[raenndrops]

Thank you!

I tried serging all 4 layers together but something would always slip out of place-perhaps i'll try serging one end of the elastic to each side, and then putting the two groups of elastic+fabric all together. That would definitely save time, and I hate stitching together two skinny pieces of elastic!

My guess is something like swimwear elastic or something more rubbery. I wonder if a silicone hair tie would be less likely to break (though I've no idea of its stretchiness):

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scunci-T...49851&wl11=online&wl12=36793356&wl13=&veh=sem

I'm snowed in or I'd drive to the store to take a look. So frustrating to be missing just one thing for a snow day project!

If you used those, I would definitely NOT try to attach it to the fabric.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I cut open a GK scrunchie - the one that came with her competition leotard, because I needed to make it into two small ones for pigtails.

Do you know what was inside it?

A rubber band. Like buy it at office depot in a bag of 100, rubber band. One of the thicker ones.

When I remade it, I used the small, thin ponytail holders. In the future I would use ponytail holders again. A regular size one for a regular size scrunchie. It works well. No part of the rubber band was sew in, and I did not sew the ponytail holder in. I wouldn't use regular sewing elastic. I can't see that working very well.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I cut open a GK scrunchie - the one that came with her competition leotard, because I needed to make it into two small ones for pigtails.

Do you know what was inside it?

A rubber band. Like buy it at office depot in a bag of 100, rubber band. One of the thicker ones.

When I remade it, I used the small, thin ponytail holders. In the future I would use ponytail holders again. A regular size one for a regular size scrunchie. It works well. No part of the rubber band was sew in, and I did not sew the ponytail holder in. I wouldn't use regular sewing elastic. I can't see that working very well.

That’s exactly what I thought.

 

[blue_5678]

I've had a Gk scrunchie break, and once I opened it up I found the same thing Sk8ermaiden did. A flat, thick rubber band.
By the way, I've found that my silicone hair ties snap faster than normal hair ties. So I wouldn't reccomend that you go that route!

 

[Lyddie27]

Well, it seems to be that #64 rubber bands in a big bag from staples is the answer! Thank you all for your help.

They've lasted a few days, and I guess I'll update you all in a few months to see if they really hold up.

 

[LoveGymnastics10]

I have sewn hundreds of scrunchies and I usually use the 3/8 braided elastic. I find it shocking that GK would use just a thick rubber band. I would think that it would break super easily. I think using 1/4 inch braided would work okay too.

The way you make scrunchies is exactly the way I make them. I sew the elastic in a circle and then serge the fabric all the way around. It looks the most professional.

 

[duyetanh]

We broke open a couple of my kids and found rubber bands also.

 

[mommyof1]

If you want to put the scrunchies around buns, I'd try different widths and lengths of braided elastic until you find the right combination. I have had much better luck on buns with scrunchies containing real elastic than with standard-issue gym scrunchies. The gym (office supply?) ones are difficult to wrap twice around a bun, and once wrapped they are too tight and squirt the bun out into a floppy little knot. Real elastic is more forgiving. It stretches properly around the entire bun and helps hold the bun flat to the head.