Heads Up!

By Erika Kotite

You’ll turn heads in a headband made from an old necktie!

What You’ll Need

• Plastic headband at least 1 inch wide
• Silk necktie
• Iron
• Glue gun
• Matching ribbon or seam binding, approximately 3/8 inch wide (narrower than the narrowest part of your headband)
• Appliques, rhinestones, pieces of lace (optional)

What to Do

1Pull out the stitching on the back of the necktie and remove the inner lining. With the iron on a low setting, press the fabric flat. (Ask for an adult’s help with the iron.)

2Measure the length of the headband and add 1 inch. Cut the necktie fabric to this length. Trim the sides, shaping it like the headband—wide in the middle, narrower at the ends.

3Ask for an adult’s help if you have not used a glue gun before. Lay the fabric on the headband so that you have an inch of extra fabric on each end. Working a few inches at a time, glue the fabric to the outside of the headband, applying the glue along the edges and pressing the fabric onto the glue.

4Apply glue along the inside edges of the headband and press the fabric onto the glue, making sure there are no wrinkles or tucks on the outside.

5Measure a piece of ribbon or seam binding to fit down the inside center of the headband. Glue in place, covering the raw edges of the silk fabric.

6Embellish with rhinestones, appliques, or pieces of lace—simply hot glue into place.

Tip: If your dad doesn’t want to give up a tie, buy one at the local thrift shop!