I have really, really, really thick hair. I love it, but most hair ties do not.
My eternal battle has been deciding between a hair tie that is so tight it makes my head hurt and rips out my hair or one that isn’t tight enough and won’t properly hold my hair up.
The ideal hair tie would be able to wrap around a pony tail 3 to 4 times without snagging my hair; be able to manage a swingy ponytail or a messy bun; and be brightly colored and cute on my wrist.
Is that too much to ask?
Supplies:
- Fold over Elastic – I purchased mine from Elastic by the Yard on Etsy
- Fabric Scissors
Instructions:
- Measure a length of elastic equivalent to circumference of your wrist
- Add some wiggle room to that measurement, then cut your elastic
- Hold the two ends together and wrap them around one finger. Pull the two edges through the loop, being careful not to pull on the edges of the elastic. Pulling the ends will cause the elastic to fray. Instead, once you have a knot, pull the knot towards the cut edges rather than the cut edges out of the knot [does that even make sense?].
- Trim the excess material
- Voila! Snag free, super soft, DIY hair ties!
- 4/22/2013 Edit: To avoid fraying of the edges, use a candle flame to seal the elastic. Do not put the elastic into the flame, it will burn, bring it close enough to the heat source and you’ll be able to see the elastic melt – this will prevent fraying!
How easy was that?
Added Bonus: they as cute as the ones sold at Anthropologie! [and so much cheaper!]
Let’s get some sun!
Love the ‘summer sunset’ – one of each please! (And I was wrong – Auggie was way ahead of us and showed up with her own!! We are way behind trend Pre!) xo from Maine!
those are a few of my favorite colors for this summer! Auggie needs to fill us in!
Did you purchase colored elastic, or did you dye them yourself?
I purchased the Elastic pre-dyed on Etsy. I considered dyeing it, but that seemed like it would be a lot more work. If you end up dyeing your own, I would love to know how it turns out!
I love these! I remember when they first came out (way before Anthropologie) and they were so popular with all the celebs. A few months ago, I found them at H&M and bought a pack. They are simply the best hair ties! :)
Agreed! They are quite awesome. Anthropologie… Late to the party per usual :)
Hi everyone! This is Kristin – owner of Elastic by the Yard on Etsy! Just wanted to drop by with a quick tip – when we finish our hair ties we always run the ends through a flame to seal them. It only take a second and helps make your hair ties last! Hope this helps! :)
Awesome tip! Thank you, Kristin!
Also, check out hobovian.com for cheaper trim and fast shipping! over 50 colors!! also, to stop the fraying, all you have to do is hold a lighter up to them and melt the edges (don’t let the flame touch the elastic or it will burn)” i just bought some from them and when I mentioned that I found them on Pinterest they gave me 5 free yards for mentioning where I found them!
awesome! Thanks for the tip, Erin :) I will have to check them out!
Very cute! What is the measurement used for width/length of elastic?
I used the circumference of my wrist, plus about an inch. This works for me, but you might need more or less :)
Sunshine Shoppe has the least expensive of the Fold over elastic in lots of colors and prints! Solids start at .50/yd!!
Hey Pre – can I place an order :) ?
OF COURSE! I’m not sure what colors I have but tell me what colors you prefer and how many :)
The fabric ribbon hair ties don’t work well on my hair. I’ve been using Clarissi Basics spiral hair elastics. They work very well. I like how I don’t get scalp pain and very little hair dent at the end of my work day because at my job, I always tie my hair up.
Where am I supposed to get elastic?
Hi! Lots of vendors on Etsy sell it, or you can google “fold over elastic”. Hope that helps!