How to Add Elastic Into a Crochet Headband

Whip up a crocheted headband with elastic inside.

With basic crochet skills, you can make a pretty and colorful headband to crown your head in style. If you add elastic into a crochet headband, the headband will stay put on your head and hold your hair back. The elastic nestled inside the crocheted headband works comfortably without pinching sensitive nerves behind your ears, making crocheted headbands suitable for babies and young children.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Elastic (½-inch wide)
• Scissors
• 1 skein soft sport-weight yarn (any color)
• Crochet hook (size F)
• Yarn needle
• Sewing machine (optional)
• Hand-sewing needle
• Thread (matching yarn color)
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Measure the circumference of the head with the tape measure. Cut a length of elastic this measurement and set it aside. Add 4 inches to this measurement for crocheting the headband.

2. Make a slipknot with the yarn and place it onto the crochet hook. Chain enough stitches to make a chain the adjusted distance around the head (circumference plus 4 inches). Join the last chain and the first chain with a slip stitch to make a ring.

3. Crochet two chains and crochet a double-crochet stitch in each chain around the ring. When you reach the starting point, join the last double-crochet stitch to the first chain with a slip stitch.

4. Repeat the same row of double-crochet stitches three more times for four double-crochet rows.

5. Cut the yarn off to leave a 4-inch tail. Yarn over and pull the tail through the remaining loop on the hook, pulling it tight. Thread the tail into the yarn needle and insert the needle through four or five stitches to bury the tail. Clip off the tail end with scissors.

6. Overlap the ends of the elastic piece by ½-inch and stitch the ends together by hand or with a sewing machine, to make into a circle.

7. Position the elastic circle against the inside edge of the crocheted headband. Stretch the elastic circle to fit the crocheted headband evenly and pin the elastic to the headband to hold it in place.

8. Thread the hand-sewing needle with an 18-inch length of thread. Tie a knot in the ends of the thread.

9. Stitch the elastic to the headband using small overhand stitches along both edges of the elastic. If the thread exactly matches the yarn color, the stitches won't show when you finish. Continue stitching the elastic along both edges and tie a knot in the thread. Clip the excess thread and remove the pins.