DIY: Fabric Elastic Bracelet

Fabric scraps just seem to accumulate with every attempt at sewing a garment, and then I’m left with all these bits and pieces that sit around purposelessly. I thought I might be able to use some fabric scraps to create a simple elastic bracelet (that’s rather like a flat scrunchie).

SUPPLIES

• 2 inch wide elastic
• Fabric (I used two different colors)
• Water Soluble Pencil to mark fabric
• Needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Iron and ironing board
• Sewing Machine (optional)

DIRECTIONS

— 1 —

Cut a piece of elastic that’s about 1½  inches longer than the circumference of your wrist.

— 2 —

Cut a piece of fabric that’s 3½ inches for the height and about three times as long as the length of your elastic piece (mine was a little less than three times as long at 19 inches). Cut a second piece of fabric with the same dimensions.

— 3 —

With rights sides together, sew the long sides of the two fabric pieces together at ½ inch. Open fabric and press seam down with iron.

— 4 —

With wrong side up, press short side with iron at ½ inch.

— 5 —

With right side up, sew the folded short side about an eighth of an inch from the edge.

— 6 —

Repeat step 4 and 5 with the other short side.

— 7 —

With right sides together, sew the second long side together at ½ inch. Press seam down.

— 8 —

Turn fabric right side out.

— 9 —

Slide the elastic piece through the fabric tube. Move the fabric to the center of the elastic piece so you can see the elastic ends.

Overlap elastic ends. With a needle and thread, hand-sew the elastic ends together so it becomes a circle. (Note: use a larger needle that is capable of going through the thick elastic.)

— 10 —

With a needle and thread, hand-sew the ends of the fabric together. (I tried to keep my stitches from going through the top layer of fabric so the thread wouldn’t show.)

— 11 —

Evenly distribute the fabric around the elastic and place the horizontal seam where you prefer. (For me, I put the horizontal seam a third way down from the top of the elastic so that both of my colors would show.)

— 12 —

With a needle and thread, hand-sew vertical stitches through the elastic and fabric along the short side’s stitching (from Step 5) to help hide it. This will help to keep the fabric in place. To further help keep the fabric in place and avoid irregular bunching, you may want to sew additional vertical lines in three places equidistant from each other. Fabric Elastic Bracelet complete.