Scrunchies are the perfect accessory. They’re simple to make with the fabrics in your scrap fabric stash, and they’re also great for showing off your sewing skills as well.
However, not every type of fabric will be good for your hair. Scratchy and rough fabrics can cause tangles and easily damage your hair if you are not careful.
What are the best options for scrunchie fabrics? Silk and cotton are some natural fabric options that are easy to work with and will be kind to your hair as well. Satin, velvet, or organza are other fun options that can add textures and patterns to the final product.
In this article, let’s learn about the best fabrics for making scrunchies and the benefits that they can have for your hair!
1. Cotton
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100% organic cotton is a natural fiber that is known to be environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic, and doesn’t irritate your skin and hair.
Cotton can be a great option for making scrunchies because it repels dust mites, pollen, and other common allergic conditions. It’s also biodegradable, which is a huge plus for environmentally conscious DIYers.
Cotton is highly breathable and absorbent, which helps keep the moisture away from the hair and scalp and keep the harmful bacteria at bay.
This natural fabric is recommended for people with sensitive skin and babies because it is very kind to the skin and hair.
The fibers of cotton are spun into a tight yarn that’s durable and strong. It is stain-resistant and very easy to launder, so it’s simple to keep your cotton scrunchies clean.
Cotton is also highly accessible – you can easily find cotton in your stash of scrap yarn. If you need to buy cotton fabric, they’re also available almost anywhere at a highly affordable price.
Keep in mind that there are various variations of cotton out there, each with different characteristics and appearance.
For sewing beginners, we recommend using a plainly woven, non-stretch cotton fabric that is smooth to the touch, for example, cotton poplin. These types of cotton are easy to sew, and the smooth texture won’t cause damage to your hair.
If you are working with cotton, you should also keep in mind that cotton tends to shrink in the wash. Before sewing, you should pre-wash the cotton fabric to get the shrinkage out of the way so that the cotton won’t shrink further after you have finished your project.
Because cotton is a natural fabric, it doesn’t hold color very well, so it’s prone to bleeding in the wash. You should wash the fabric with similar colors so that the fabric won’t become dull or discolored.
2. Satin
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Satin is often understood as a type of fabric, but it’s actually a type of weave commonly made from various types of materials, such as cotton, polyester, and viscose.
Historically it was made from silk, but in the modern era, it’s easier to find blends that include synthetic fibers like polyester.
Satin is known to be highly smooth and flexible, even comparable to silk. Because of the fabric’s smoothness and flexibility, it won’t cause any friction between the scrunchies and your hair, which is ideal if you are concerned about damaging your hair.
Because of the woven construction, satin is still highly breathable, even if it is made from synthetic materials. This material is also hypoallergenic, so if you have sensitive skin, that’s also a huge plus.
However, because this material is so smooth, the scrunchies can slip away from your hair, which can be a disadvantage for some people. It can also be difficult to sew because of this same reason, so using a walking foot with your sewing machine is highly recommended.
Because of the way the threads are woven, satin can also snag easily.
You may need to take extra care when cutting out your pattern pieces so that there aren’t any long strands of thread hanging off them that could easily get caught on something else while they’re being cut out or sewn together by hand or machine.
3. Silk
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Aside from being super luxurious and smooth, silk is also known to have various health benefits for hair.
It can be filled with various nutrients and amino acids that help nourish the hair. If you can invest in 100% pure mulberry silk, you can enjoy a ton of benefits.
Being a natural fiber, silk is also incredibly gentle on the hair thanks to its smoothness, making it an ideal choice for people with sensitive hair. It’s also anti-absorbent, which means it can leave the hair feeling fresh and nourished.
Scrunchies made from pure silk are also incredibly lightweight and smooth, which means they can help prevent hair loss and hair breakage.
Silk scrunchies can also glide off easily and are ideal for people with curly or wavy hair. Unlike regular hair ties, silk scrunchies do not leave any marks or kinks on your hair.
Although there are plenty of benefits from silk scrunchies, one disadvantage of silk is that it can be difficult to launder. You will need to handwash it with a mild detergent in order to preserve the luxurious texture.
Silk is a high-quality fabric, but it doesn’t hold its color well. As soon as silk absorbs sunlight, it begins to fade. This means that drying silk out in the sun can easily damage this material.
Silk is also quite an expensive material that requires careful consideration before buying. Compared to similar materials like satin, silk is much more expensive and difficult to care for properly.
Similar to satin, silk can be difficult to sew because it is so slippery. If you are sewing with silk, we also recommend using a walking foot to keep the fabrics from slipping. Silk is also quite delicate, so you should use clips to hold the fabric rather than sewing pins to avoid damaging it.
4. Velvet
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Velvet is a rich and luxurious material that can be used to create a wide range of accessories and clothing. It feels lovely to touch, and it gives an elegant look.
Originally, velvet was made from pure silk. Today, it can be made from various types of fibers, such as polyester or wool.
In addition, there are various types of velvet, with pressed decorative patterns or even pile-on-pile fabric with different pile heights.
Besides being incredibly luxurious, velvet also has a rich and elegant aesthetic. The soft texture of this fabric can also add warmth to a fashion look.
One reason we recommend using velvet fabrics to make scrunchies is the fact that this material is incredibly durable. It can endure intense pulling and rubbing, and it is also moisture absorbent. Its smooth and resilient texture makes it ideal for long-lasting hair accessories.
For scrunchies, we recommend using a non-stretch velvet or velvet with a minimum stretch, which is better to sew with.
Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages to using velvet. Its tendency to lose hair and pill can be an annoyance. Pilling can also cause the fabric to become uncomfortable.
When looking for a durable velvet fabric to make scrunchies, you should look for a densely woven fabric. That way, the fabric can be resistant to wrinkles and resistant to pilling.
Depending on the fabric that you use, the fabric can be a bit thick and hard to sew. If your fabric is thicker, you should switch to a bigger sewing needle and slightly thicker threads so that the needle and thread won’t break while you are sewing.
5. Organza
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Organza scrunchies are perfect for adding a little bit of glamour to your hairstyle. This type of fabric is super versatile and can be used in many different ways.
Organza is quite a durable fabric. It can hold up your hair for long periods of time without sagging or losing its shape.
The material also has a stiff handle, which makes it easy to manipulate and structure while you sew. It is also pill-resistant and wrinkle-resistant.
Organza is a super sheer woven fabric, which makes it very breathable and lightweight.
The thin material allows for maximum comfort when worn against the head and ears, as well as ensuring that there’s no heat build-up inside the scrunchy itself.
The sheerness of organza makes it ideal for creating elegant hairstyles that catch the light beautifully. Although this fabric is very thin, it’s still quite easy to sew and is a super beginner-friendly fabric, even if it’s your first sewing project.
Organza is a very fine, light, and transparent fabric. It can be easily damaged if not handled properly.
Because organza is delicate and very light in weight, it often needs to be hand washed rather than put through a washing machine cycle that could damage the fabric or cause it to shrink too much when dried in the dryer cycle.
To keep your organzas looking good as new, always lay flat on a towel after they have been washed so they can air dry completely before using.
Depending on the fiber content, organza is also quite sensitive to heat, so ironing can easily ruin it.
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