Headcoverings from Recycled Knits

Here is a picture of my first attempt to recycle some knit tops into headcoverings for church. We are using knit fabric for the stretch. The stretchy knit fabric really stays put on your head. Both patterns are like headbands, one, the headscarf, with a long tail that hangs in back. I like the two on the outside the best, but that may be because Claire insisted on wearing hers behind her ears! I also think Claire's isn't really tight enough. 

Mine is a wide headband, not really a headcovering, meant to be worn under a scarf to keep it from slipping. It worked beautifully and I did not need to clip the sides of the scarf anywhere to keep it from slipping in church. You will appreciate not having the distraction of a slipping scarf during church! The headband keeps your hair neat and makes tying the scarf behind your head easier.

It took me less than 15 minutes each, from cutting the cloth to trying it on, to make these one morning. I selected several knit tops from a pile we were giving away and let the girls pick the one they wanted for their headcovering. It was hard for me to cut up a good shirt, but I thought of all the hassle I was saving myself from by not driving 30 minutes to a fabric store and then not finding what I wanted at a decent price. Although, if you have knit remnants lying around those will work too.

What follows is some general how too. For detailed instructions click on the links I provided.

The headscarf has a tube part at one end that fits around your head just like a head band. This part is made by simply folding under about 4 inches from the top of your length of cloth and sewing a long seam. The rest of the length forms a long tail attached to the tube that hangs down the back and folds around your hair. The next step is to sew the short seam from the head band you just made, and finish the sides of the tail ( I just zigzagged over the edge) and you are finished.

Here is a picture of the back of the headscarf. If you want it to cover more of your hair in the back you would need something like a long T-shirt style top to get that kind of length from the fabric. From the shirt I used I could only get about 17 inches in length.

I cut each shirt straight up the middle to lay the fabric out flat, then cut my length from the part that is basically below the arms. (This is not necessary for the headband because it uses less fabric than the other two.) 

Basically all three pieces needed a width (the part that goes around your head) from 20 to 22 inches and a length of 10 - 12 inches for the wide headband, and 17 - 19 inches long for the headscarf. Just sew a few seams and your done. 

The nice thing about using a knit top for the fabric for this project is that if you cut from the bottom finished edge of the knit top, and use that edge for the bottom edge of your headscarf that is hanging down in the back of your head, you will have one edge of your project already finished - less finishing to do.

These are the patterns I used from the internet for the projects:

The headband. From Nancy's Notions. This pattern is super easy. The seams on the short end under your hair are not hidden so their is no complicated folding or turning as you sew. This pattern was for chemo patents with no hair, so you may want to do the pattern I mention below to cut down on the bulk in back under your hair. 

The headscarf. Its the pattern at the bottom of the page.

What I would do differently: I am going to cut the back seam of the headband and convert it into a band with a covered elastic in the back to decrease the bulk under my hair. The pattern for a headband with a covered elastic in back is found here.  Make sure your fit is snug for the head scarves, but not so tight you're pulling your eye-lids out of joint : )

The next thing I am going to attempt is to make a beret from recycled knit cloth. You can find the pattern I am going to use, at Nancy's Notions also, here.