Adding buttons is a beautiful way to add some color and detail to just about any clothing item. On this button headband that I made for my daughter, the buttons create a pretty pink contrast to the turquoise and add some shine and texture.
Supplies Needed:
- Buttons Galore “Strawberry Cheesecake” Color Blend
- quilt fabric scrap
- fusible interfacing (medium weight)
- 1/2″ braided elastic
- white thread & needle
- iron
- sewing machine (optional)
This project is a great way to use up scraps! To begin, I cut a 14.75″ x 4″ piece of quilt fabric. Then I cut a 13.5″ x 3″ piece of the interfacing. I then took them to my ironing board and followed the package directions to fuse the interfacing centered onto the back of the fabric. Before turning my iron off, I folded the piece in half along its length and ironed that fold in place as well.
Then I returned to my sewing table and got out my ruler and a fabric marking pencil. I marked dots 3″ from the ends of the interfacing on each side, and marked a .75″ wide measurement centered in the middle of the interfacing’s narrow end. Then I used these markings to draw lines to follow to create the taper on the ends of the headband. I also made some markings to show where my sewing should stop on the long edge that isn’t folded, so that the headband could be turned right side out.
Next I measured around my daughter’s head and figured out how much elastic it would take to make the headband fit her nicely. To figure this out, I took the measurement of her head and subtracted the length of the interfacing (which would be about the finished length of the headband). That gave me the distance that the elastic needed to cover. Then I added about a half inch to that number and cut my elastic to length.
I laid my elastic inside the folded fabric with the ends sticking out between the two lines that I had drawn. I then pinned it into place to hold it securely into position while I sewed.
I then sewed on the lines I had drawn and across the end of the headband, reversing across the elastic a few times to make it extra secure.
Then, I pulled the fabric so it was bunched up on one end of the elastic, positioned the other end of the elastic, and pinned it in place to sew.
When I was done, I was left with a fabric tube with a hole in the side that was being gathered up by the elastic inside of it.
I used the opening I had left to turn the headband right side out, and after a bit of pressing, was able to fold under the raw edges of the opening and pin them together.
To seal the opening and make the edges of my button headband lie nice and flat, I topstitched around all the way around the edges on my headband. My headband was done…but very plain!
So to fix that, I sat down with a container of the “Strawberry Cheesecake” Color Blend buttons. These shades of pink range from bubblegum to barely there, but all are gorgeous! They are perfect for projects for little girls (and big girls) of any age. I got out a needle and thread, and one and a time sewed a row of buttons along the length of the headband. Yes, by doing this step last the sewing will show on the back side of the headband, but it won’t be visible while being worn. And doing the sewing after the headband is finished makes it easier to ensure the buttons end up exactly in the center, which is a detail that will be seen.
This button headband project is slightly time-consuming but definitely worth the effort! My daughter doesn’t want to take off her beautiful new accessory, and buying a similar one in stores would be much more costly. DIY a button headband for someone special today!
