Scrunchie vs. Scrunchie

Scrunchies have definitely made a comeback this last year or so. I remember using my mom’s when I was little and hearing stories about how they were super popular and then went out of style. Those days are over now though, because they are back! 🙂

Now, I have to admit up front that I do not wear scrunchies all of the time. They are one of those accessories that in my brain look great on others, but on myself,…..well….let’s just say you probably won’t see me styling them. However, I became really curious with how to make them since every time I got on Pinterest there seemed to be more and more scrunchie patterns. Each pattern I saw seemed to have similar ideas for what scrunchies should look like, but the process was different in each one. Some were using specific stitches, others were creating tubes around the hair-tie, and a few I saw were just crocheting around the hair-tie itself, but all of them resulted in a scrunchie of one style or another.

All of this research got me thinking: What is the best way to make a scrunchie and what style of scrunchie works the best? This is what got me started on my Scrunchie vs. Scrunchie challenge. I wanted to know which pattern processes and final products were the best in style and function, and then I could share with you what my findings were. Now, there is no way I could do this with all of the patterns on the internet, so instead, I took my research and created 3 separate patterns that followed the most common processes I found for creating these 80s hair-ties. As an added bonus, at the end, you can pick which is your favorite and totally use the pattern to create your own! Alright, let’s get started!

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Scrunchies 3 Ways

Each scrunchie will have a separate pattern, but each was created using the same yarn and hook size for easy comparisons between patterns. These patterns can be modified to meet your needs, but please be aware that it may change the look and function of the final product.

All Scrunchies:

-3 oz. of sport weight, #3 yarn (I used Red Heart Soft Baby yarn in Lilac; it’s sooo soft!)

-G/6-4.25mm crochet hook

-yarn needle

You will need to know:

ch: chain

st: stitch

hdc: half double crochet

dc: double crochet

sl st: slip stitch

You will also need to know how to join using the whip stitch.

All stitches in US terms.

Scrunchie #1:

Also needed:

-sewing elastic (I used 1/4 inch/6.3mm knit elastic)

-needle and thread

1. Elastic Center: Measure 7 inches of sewing elastic. Form a circle with the elastic with 1/2 inch overlapping on each end. Use the needle and thread to sew the two ends together to create a circle. Be sure not to have any twists in your circle! 🙂 
2. Base Chain: With your hook and yarn, ch 20 st. Around the elastic, join the last st to the first by using a sl st. Make sure not to twist your chain before joining! The goal is to create a tube that surrounds the elastic and continue crocheting the scrunchie around it. 
3. Row 1: Now that you have connected your base ch to itself, ch 1 and hdc in the same st as your ch 1; hdc in each st around. At the end of the row, sl st into the first hdc to join. (20 hdc st total)
4. Row 2-55: Ch 1, hdc in the same st as the ch 1, hdc around, and join with a sl st in the first hdc at the end of the row. (20 hdc st total in each row) (Depending on the size of your sts, you may have to crochet more or less rows than 55; continue crocheting rows until you like how “scrunchie” your project looks.) At the end of row 55, finish off and leave a long tail..
5. Using the yarn needle and the long tail of your tube, whip stitch the two ends of your tube together. Tie off and weave in any left over ends.

Thoughts on Scrunchie #1:

Alright, I liked how #1 turned out, but it took a long time to create because of the size of the stitches, yarn, and hook used. The elastic was not my favorite, but that was also because I have super thick, heavy hair. If you had medium to thin hair, it would probably work well. I really loved how the whip stitch allowed me to join the ends of the tube without a super noticeable seem. Overall, the final product was cute, but may need some more strength for thick hair.

Scrunchie #2:

Also needed:

-hair tie

1. Base Chain/Row 1: Ch. 52. Turn, and dc in the third st from the hook. Dc in each st across. (50 st total)
2. Row 2-12: *Ch. 2 (this counts as the first dc in the row), turn and dc in each st across. The last dc should be in the top of the first ch 2 to end the row.* Continue following from * to * until you have 10-12 rows (this can vary depending on the size of your hair tie and how big you want your scrunchie). When done, tie off and leave a long tail to use for stitching the scrunchie closed around the hair tie.
3. Finishing up: Put the hair tie around the rectangle and try to center it as best you can. (The long side should be vertical if the hair tie is horizontal.) Fold the long side over the hair tie to create a tube with the rectangle. Using the yarn needle and long tail from the rectangle, whip stitch around the outside of the scrunchie, and then whip stitch to close the tube. Tie off and weave in any left over ends.

Thoughts on Scrunchie #2:

Honestly, this one turned out my least favorite in style, but it works really well. The hair-tie is strong enough to hold my hair without falling out, and it was fairly quick to create, which is a bonus to me. However, the process of making a rectangle first and then a tube meant a lot of finishing up and stitching, and it made the style almost a little chunky, which was odd with the weight of the yarn that I used. So, it is up to your taste for style, but this scrunchie definitely does its job, just maybe doesn’t look the best while doing it.

Scrunchie #3:

Also needed:

-hair tie

1. Base Chain: With your hook and yarn, ch 20 st. Around the elastic, join the last st to the first by using a sl st. Make sure not to twist your chain before joining! The goal is to create a tube that surrounds the elastic and continue crocheting the scrunchie around it.
2. Row 1: Now that you have connected your base ch to itself, ch 2 (this counts as the first dc here and throughout), dc in each st around. At the end of the row, sl st into the top of the ch 2 to join. (20 dc st total)
3. Row 2-35: Ch 2, dc around, and join with a sl st in the ch 2 to end the row. (20 dc st total in each row) (Depending on the size of your sts, you may have to crochet more or less rows than 35; continue crocheting rows until you like how “scrunchie” your project looks.) At the end of row 35, finish off and leave a long tail..
4. Using the yarn needle and the long tail of your tube, whip stitch the two ends of your tube together. Tie off and weave in any left over ends.

Thoughts on Scrunchie #3:

Now this scrunchie was sort of a combination of the other two by using the double crochet stitch from #2 and using the tube process from #1. The goal was to try to cut down on the time needed to create, make sure the final product worked well, and keep the look of the first one as much as possible. In my humble opinion, it WORKED! 🙂 Overall, the look is similar to the first one while the process was quicker and the hair-tie did its job. Success!

My Final Ranking:

1st place goes to Scrunchie #3

2nd place goes to Scrunchie #2

3rd place goes to Scrunchie #1

My choice for first was easy because of reasons already stated, but 2nd and 3rd place were a lot more debatable. In the end, I chose how well the final product worked over the style I liked better to allow #2 to win over #1. However, the choice is yours too. How would you rank these? Which pattern will you use and why? These patterns were all made with #3 yarn, but I think all of these patterns would change if you used a thicker gauge yarn. I may have to try them out again and see what happens!

Share your thoughts in the comments! I would love to hear your ideas and see what you make! Also, if you do try any of these patterns, please let me know via the comments, or contact me on Instagram or Facebook @godsgiftofcreativity, and don’t forget to like and subscribe to the blog!

Keep on creating for the glory of God! 1 Corinthians 10:31

-Chelsey