Homemade fold-over elastic hair bands

For years I refused to wear my hair other than in a ponytail. I can’t even imagine how many hair ties I’ve gone through in my lifetime so far. Despite the fact that I don’t wear my hair up every day, I still do most days. In an effort to find a hair tie that was more sustainable I decided to try to make the fold-over elastic hair bands I had been seeing everywhere.

Gone are the days of having a hair band snap at the worst time. One of the best things about these hair bands is that they replace the extreme over-consumption of store-bought ties. Most hair bands are sold in packs of at least 10 and sometimes even 50. When we have what feels like an endless supply we don’t look after them and just grab a new one when we lose or beak one. There is also significantly less packaging with these and they are easy to fix when they stretch out. The only downside is that with my thick hair they can’t stand up to a high intensity workout without slipping, but they are great for everyday wear. A lot of women like them because they are supposed to not leave a crease in your hair, but if you wear your hair pulled back tightly you still get the crease.

I bought 10 yards of ¾ inch fold over elastic and made 10 headbands and 20 hair ties, plenty to share with my friends and hide at work and in my car for emergencies.

Instructions:

For a headband: wrap the elastic around your head, leaving an inch of extra elastic on each side. Cut and tie together.

For a hair tie: Measure 8.5-9.5 inches of elastic, cut and tie end together.

To keep the ends from fraying you can carefully melt the ends slightly, but so far mine have not frayed without melting them.

You can buy fold over elastic at most fabric stores or online. I got mine from Elastic by the Yard.