Sport Lycra headband
Shevonne gets ready for yoga in her Sport Lycra headband with design Delf_Conversational by Stacy Iest Hsu.

You’ve just sewn up your Sport Lycra® leggings and you’re ready for yoga class when it strikes you—­your freshly sewn yoga pants need a matching headband to keep the hair out of your eyes during those downward-facing dogs! With the bonus moisture-wicking feature and quick sew time, a headband is the perfect accessory to add to your athletic wardrobe. Join Spoonflower team member and self proclaimed athletic apparel advocate Meredith, as she shows you how to turn a fat quarter of Spoonflower’s Sport Lycra into a headband, ideal for sweating it out at the gym or just preventing a bad hair day.

Make a sports lycra headband

Materials:

  • 1 fat quarter of Spoonflower’s Sport Lycra (I used jennifersanchezart’s NY1329. The colors in her designs really pop on the Sport Lycra!)
  • Fabric shears or rotary blade.
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine/thread
Cut your sports lycra

1. To get started, cut down your fabric. 

Cut a rectangle 4.5” wide x 20” (11.43 cm x 50.8 cm) long. If you’re nervous about the headband fitting too snug, I recommend wrapping the fabric around head to determine how much fabric you’ll need, keeping in mind there will be a 1/4” (0.64 cm) seam allowance. You can always sew your headband with a larger seam allowance if it’s too big, so err on the side of caution!

Fold the left raw edge of your fabric in half to meet the right raw edge, so that the printed sides of the fabric are facing each other.

A fabric rectangle has been folded in half with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, so that the unprinted side of the fabric, which is all white, is shown. The fabric is on a green cutting mat with a yellow grid.

2. Fold your cut rectangle in half, left to right, right sides facing each other.

With the fabric folded in half from step 1, fold the top raw edge of your fabric in half to meet the bottom raw edge. So the unprinted sides of the fabric are facing each other.

A fabric rectangle has been folded in half lengthwise with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, so that the unprinted side of the fabric, which is all white, is shown. The fabric is on a green cutting mat with a yellow grid.

3. With the fabric folded in half, fold the fabric again, top to bottom.

Fold your fabric again, from top to bottom. Match the top smooth edge with the bottom raw edge.

A fabric rectangle has been folded in half lengthwise yet again with the right sides of the fabric facing each other, so that the unprinted side of the fabric, which is all white, is shown. The fabric is on a green cutting mat with a yellow grid.

4. Fold the fabric in half, top to bottom, one more time!

The edges of fabric have been pinned together. The fabric is on a green cutting mat with a yellow grid.

5. Using a pin, secure the raw edges of the fabric.

The end of your headband should be 8 layers thick.

Sewing the headband together.

6. Using a 1/4” (0.64 cm) seam, sew across the edge you just pinned together.

7. Fold and topstitch the top and bottom. (Optional)

The great thing about knit fabric, including the Sport Lycra, is that the edges won’t fray like woven fabrics! So, if you’re running out the door for yoga and don’t have time to finish your edges, don’t worry! If you do prefer a more finished look and don’t want the edges to roll, you can fold over the top and bottom of your headband about 1/4” (0.64 cm) and topstitch.

Meredith wears her finished headband while doing yoga in the backyard amidst trees.

With so many designs to choose from in the Spoonflower Marketplace, or a custom design of your own, the possibilities are really endless for a headband!