Follow this super simple tutorial to make your own beaded + knotted headband! I am all about some frugal fashion and this DIY knotted headband turned out too cute! With just a few simple materials you can make a thrifty & adorable headband, too. Not only are they super comfy and durable; they’re fun to make, too!
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I’ve been seeing these beaded / knotted headbands online and in a lot of boutique shops ranging anywhere from $20 – $40 in price! I made this one in about 20 minutes and have probably less than $3 in the materials. These would not only be wonderful for personal wear, but they would make perfect budget-friendly gifts. They could even be sold at your next craft fair. You can really unleash your creativity – I’m already dreaming up colors & designs for my next headband.
Materials
- Blank Headbands (These are similar to the ones I used, but any narrow headband will do)
- Fabric of your choice
- Glass Seed Beads
- Felt (the stiff sheets, like these)
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
- Cut out two identical leaf-shaped pieces of felt and glue them on each side of the headband, leaving a gap at the top of the headband. If you prefer a wider headband, your felt should be wider as the felt will guide the shape of your headband. It should look something like this:
2. Roughly measure out a strip of fabric that will be large enough to cover the length and width of the headband. This doesn’t have to be perfect, I trimmed fabric as I worked. You do want to make sure that your fabric is not too small, however.
3. Tie the strip of fabric into a knot at the center of the headband. This will give the appearance of “bunny ears.” Try to make sure that each “ear” is roughly the same length.
4. Begin wrapping and gluing the fabric around the headband, starting closest to the knot in the middle. You will see some bunching of fabric, but that’s okay. Try to ensure that the whole headband is covered. Be sure to only apply hot glue on the inner part of the headband (I only applied hot glue to the metal headband, not the felt, as this just seems sturdier). Once the headband is fully covered and glued, you can trim off / fold up any excess fabric at the bottom of the headband.
4. Once your knot headband is all covered, it’s time for the beading! I felt intimidated by this process, but it ended up being super fun. I will warn you, it can get a little frustrating if you get glue on your fingertips and you’re trying to pick up the tiny seed beads. So if possible, keep your fingers glue-free!
You want to begin by planning out your design and the colors of beads that you want to use. Have the beads easily accessible. I recommend using some kind of tray or plate as beads this tiny are almost impossible to find if they end up on the floor. Once you have your planning completed, all you have to do is use your hot glue gun as a “pencil” to draw out the design. As you draw parts of the design, you will carefully drop seed beads on the wet glue, pushing them down just enough to ensure that they stick. This part should be completed in one tiny segment at a time. If you draw too much at once with the glue gun, you risk being unable to cover the glue with seed beads before the glue starts to dry.
I recommend that you try a simple design when starting out. It’s important to remember that your beads do not have to be precise – I started out counting out beads to make symmetrical polka dots, but eventually decided to just improv!
What design ideas do you have for your knotted headband? Let us know in the comments! Also, check out our other frugal fashion tutorials – like these easy DIY clay earrings!