Upcycle Craft: Onesie to Headband

My daughters and I have developed a bit of an obsession with headbands lately.  In order to support this habit of ours, I learned how to make the headbands from Jersey fabric, rather than buy them from an area retailer.  Then I started thinking...what about using baby onesies to make the headbands?  I searched online but could not find a pattern for what I wanted.  So I developed my own to share with you.

Total time for this project was about 15 minutes.  I bought my onesie from a consignment store, so total cost was $.80.

First, lay out your onesie and cut a straight line from under one armpit, to under the armpit on the opposite side.

Determine how wide you want your headband to be, double that number, and add 1/2 inch for seam allowance.  I wanted a 3-inch headband, similar to those sold at our area retailer, so I cut 6.5 inches down from my first cut.

Turn onesie inside out, and cut off one seam.

Once cut and spread open, my 6-month onesie measured approximately 17 inches long, with a seam in the middle.  If you want a looser fitting headband, be sure to use a bigger sized onesie.  Also, as you will see further down, it is very easy to adjust this headband for a smaller size.

Fold this fabric lengthwise, with right sides together.  Make sure your onesie seam lines up in the middle, and using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew along the length of the fabric.

I used a ballpoint needle and a zigzag stitch, to allow for stretching.

Turn headband right-sided out.  Line up your sewn seam so it is centered on the back side of the headband.  Iron seam.

Fold headband in half width-wise, with front sides together.  Your rough edges will be lined up.

Take the fabric on the end with the rough edges, and fold it toward the middle of your fabric, meeting at the center seam. Your top layer will be closer together than the bottom layer, as shown.

 Sew in place, and trim to reduce bulk.

Flip headband right-sided out.  The seam you just created will be neatly tucked inside.  This is the back of your headband.  This is the point where you can try your headband for fit.  If it is too loose, simply repeat the previous step and cut off the extra!

The front of your headband will have a vertical seam directly down the middle.

Using a needle and thread, make a running stitch down the front vertical seam.

Pull your thread tight at the end to cinch the fabric.  Repeat, and tie off thread to secure.

That's it!  Find yourself a cute little model, and enjoy your handiwork.  (Yes, these fit adults as well!)

Hair Bow Organizer

I joined Pinterest a few months ago and am in love with it.  I have found so many fun crafts and ideas since joining.  Now the only problem is...I need time to complete these projects!
I love hair bows for my girls.  I have made a few that were inspired by Pinterest.  But I needed somewhere to store these bows, so I found an idea on Pinterest (of course). 

This idea originally came from The Frugal Girls.com.  I liked their idea of using a picture frame and ribbon, but their bow organizer seemed a little small to me.

I searched in my attic for old frames, and I remembered a frame I had from an old mirror in my first apartment.  The mirror broke in a move, but I liked the frame so much that I kept it.  It was perfect for this project.

Then I started thinking about what scrapbook paper to use as the background.  The mirror frame was a little too big to use scrapbook paper, so I started thinking about fabric I had "for later".  I remembered an old scrub top I had been given a few years ago.  I liked the pattern on the top, but I never actually wore it.  I wasn't a big fan of the bow in the front.  Again, perfect for this project.

I found some ribbon I liked at Walmart, and I set to work.  All I had to do was cut the front off the scrub top, position it on the back of the frame, and tack the back corners down with some hot glue.  The back of the frame is not pretty, but nobody will ever see it, so it doesn't matter.  Then I tacked the ribbon on the back with some hot glue, clipped the bows in place, and hung it on Boo's wall.  Ta-da!  A beautiful bow organizer, ready for some more bows: