Mop Top Headband and Pony-O

Last week I was busy making this layered twirl dress with my good friend and sewing mentor, Carly of Sewing and Design by Carly...

and had these fun leftover scraps of knit that I had to find a way to use.

You may have figured out how much I love to make hair pretties. Clippies, headbands, hair scarves, ANYTHING.   Yep, definitely can whip up a few headbands and pony-o's with these great scraps. If you have old t-shirts or other knit items in your "donate" box, these scraps will work great too.

I used the selvage edges that I cut off of the skirt bands from my dress above. Then cut into some small pieces of leftover fabric.

The pieces measure about 1/4" wide and about 3 inches in length for the smaller Mop Tops and about 5 inches in length for the bigger Mop Tops.

Cut, cut, cut and pile them up. I didn't count exactly how many strips I used. More = a bigger fluffier puff and less = a flatter thinner puff. The measurements do not need to be exact. Be sure to set one strip of knit aside for later use for each Mop Top you make.

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Once you are happy with the size of your pile, get out some elastic thread. If you don't own elastic thread, you can buy it in the notions section of your friendly local sewing store. You can also improvise by using embroidery thread, very thin ribbon or maybe even very thin elastic. Cut off a 5-inch piece.

If you are making a Pony-O...

Pick up your pile of knit scraps and set it down in the middle of the length of elastic. Grab an elastic ponytail holder.  Tie a double knot around the knit pile of strips and through the pony-o. Turn the pile and elastic over, bring the elastic ends and tie a double knot again.

Clip off the long ends but don't clip too close to the knot.

Now it's time to pick up the one strip of knit that I had you set aside a little earlier and tie a double knot with it over top of the elastic you used to tie the Mop Top. 

Cut a small circle out of coordinating felt (about 3/4 inch in diameter). Cover with a medium layer of Fabri-Tac. Then press the felt circle onto the underside of the Mop Top to cover the knot of the single strip of knit and to also cover the pony-o where it attaches to the underside of the Mop Top. 

Done! How easy was that?

If you are making a headband...

Pick up your pile of knit scraps and set it down in the middle of the length of elastic. Tie a double knot around the knit pile of strips.

Turn the pile and elastic over, bring the elastic ends together and tie a double knot again. Clip the ends of your thread but don't clip too close to the knot. Take one strip of knit that you set aside earlier and tie a knot on top of your piece of elastic thread that is holding your Mop Top together. Tie a double knot. For my headband, I made two Mop Tops. I wanted it big and full.

Cut out a small circle of coordinating felt for each Mop Top. Cover one side of it with Fabri-Tac. Set aside for a minute.

Grab one (or two) Mop Tops and flip them upside down - or - the part that you want to be the top should be laying on your work surface. Lay your elastic headband across the bottom of one or both Mop Tops.

Then finally lay your felt circle(s) on your elastic and Mop Tops. Push down with your fingers so that the glue adheres the elastic, felt and Mop Top(s) together.

 

Let dry a few hours. Wear with a smile.

Cute, cheap and FUN! I love making something out of scraps that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. Revise my previous statement...cute cheap, FUN and green. Love it!

Thanks for popping by today! If you aren't yet a follower of my blog, now is the time. A giveaway is coming soon to my Bucket of Buttons Followers. 

This project is linked up at:














Blue Cricket Design and Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice at 733


The Mop Top Headband was FEATURED at: