Cozy Infinity Scarf

I am so glad that I decided to make this project, and write this Instructable. There is nothing cozier and warmer than a scarf. The temperature dropped suddenly this last few weeks and a toasty scarf was just what the doctor ordered. It also helps that the pattern screams Christmas to me, which is easily the coziest holiday. This is also a super easy project that I was able to do in about an hour. Now that I know what I'm doing, I might be able to do it in half an hour. I really hope you make one of your own because it is just so cute, so warm, and so easy! The total cost of this scarf was about five dollars. This is a great beginners sewing project because it is easy, but it is also very rewarding to finish, and practical for day to day use.

The layered look of the infinity scarf makes it appear very complicated, but it is actually very simple. In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret... (it's just a 2-yard long cylinder) Super easy, right!? Honestly, you could probably figure out how to make the scarf without this Instructable, but don't let that stop you from reading on ;)

- Sewing machine

- 2 Yards of fabric

- Matching thread

- Fabric scissors or rotary cutter

- Measuring tape or ruler

- Pins (not pictured)

Before we can create this elegant scarf, we must destroy the fabric. MUahaha! Well, "destroy" meaning "carefully cut in half lengthwise". When you're done cutting, you should have a giant rectangle that measures 2 yards, by 20 inches. (I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the entire piece of fabric. It was much longer than my table, and I don't think you really want a wide-angle shot of our living room 😂)

You could measure out exactly 20 inches, but when the entire fabric was folded in half, it measured 21 1/2 inches, which was close enough for me. Simply fold the fabric in half, and cut along the fold. The cut might not be as precise and straight as if we were to measure and cut on a flat surface. Fortunately, this edge will be hidden inside the scarf, so snip away!

Now you will once again fold the fabric in half lengthwise, and use pins to secure the two sides together. Now you will have a rectangle that measures 10 inches by two yards. Simply sew the two long sides together so that the two small ends are open. If you are feeling dangerous, you could try to eyeball the sewing, and forgo the pins. This is a very forgiving project, so if you take it slow, or sew it by hand then you could theoretically avoid using pins. This would save time, but if the fabric is sewn cockeyed, then you'll have to tear out the threads and resew. "Short cuts make long delays."

One side of the fabric was raw and frayed, so I gave myself plenty of room from the edge so I wouldn't accidentally sew on the fray.

This step is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll elaborate anyway.

To hide the ugly seam, reach inside the cylinder and pull it inside out. Now the sewn edges will be hidden inside the scarf and no one will ever know if you totally messed up on the seams and made them all wonky. There's really not much to say about this so let's just move onto the next step.

Take one side and fold and pin it into the scarf like you see in the picture. This will be the side that will remain visible once the scarf is fully assembled. I made the fold about an inch, but you don't need it to be quite that long. You would probably only need a half-inch fold. I just wanted to ensure that my seam wouldn't accidentally stray too far and not sew the fold together. (I almost did that on the long, frayed edge from earlier. oops)

We're almost done! All we need to do is sew the two ends together. Make sure that the scarf is not twisted before pinning and sewing the raw opening inside the folded side from the last step. In addition, if you have a pattern, try to align the pattern as closely as possible. The checkered flannel is pretty easy to align, but a more varied pattern like birds or flowers would be much harder.

I started to overthink this step and how exactly the two edges were going to be attached. It turned out to be super simple. Take the ugly edge and slide it inside the folded side. Then lay the scarf flat and just sew across. You don't need to sew the two ends together in a fancy way or anything. Just straight over the top, and through all the layers. Maybe this was super obvious to an experienced seamstress, but it took me a minute so I wanted to make sure I was as clear as possible.

When you sew the two pieces together, you will be sewing through six layers of fabric. Six! I recommend lengthening the stitch length before sewing. This will make it easier on your machine. Only you can prevent sewing machine abuse.

You did it! You made your own Infinity Scarf! Now you can show off to your friends and say "Oh yeah. I just made this in like, half an hour. Super cheap. No biggie." Then they will all be super impressed and all want scarves. You'll be a trendsetter! An influencer! A fashion icon! Maybe you'll get on the cover of Time.

Thank you for reading this Instructable all the way through! It really means a lot to me. This is the first time I have written a sewing Instructable, so if anything isn't clear or you don't know what I'm talking about at any point, let me know! I love improving my writing so any advice that you may have would be greatly appreciated.