How to Make a Funky Fleece Ear Muff Head Band

These cute, funky and fashionable Fleece Ear Muff Head Bands are easy to make, and very inexpensive!

Here's what you need:

1/4 yard patterned polar fleece (for ear muff).

1/8 yard polar fleece (for decorative flower).

(The minimum you can buy from a fabric center is usually 1/4 yard. You'll get multiple hats and enough flowers for a polar fleece flower garden from 1/8 yard.)

Scissors or a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat.

You'll also need a sewing machine, a needle and thread.

And a glass of wine.

For the headband, cut a rectangle 22" X 7".

For the flower, cut out a rectangle 21" X 2" from the solid fabric.

Then, using scissors, taper the (solid fabric) strip from about 1/2" wide at one end. In other words, the finished strip should be 1/2" wide, gradually getting wider until you get to the other end of the strip (which will be 2" wide).

Round the edges at both ends.

Don't worry. It doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, it's actually better if it's not.

Ready to sew?

Let's go!

Fold patterned fleece in half, with the right sides together. (By "right side" I mean the part of fabric that you want to show off. It's usually brighter than the wrong side.)

Pin edges together using straight pins.

Sew along the seam.

Turn right-side out.

Time for a wine break.

Note: Before you sew the ends together, you should make sure the head band is the size you want it to be. You may want to shorten it a bit if you have a small head. Remember that the band will be stretchy and there is about an inch that will be taken up by the seem.

Ready to sew?

Fold the right-side out strip in half and pin the inside edges of the two ends together.

Using your sewing machine, stitch along the seam, being careful to keep the outside edges out of the way. They will try and sneak their way into your seam. Your seam will be about 3" in length.

This is the hardest step.

Phew.

The easiest way to do this is to pull the ear muff over your leg, with the seam you just sewed facing down (towards your leg). Position it so that the open edges are facing up.

Once you get it positioned, fold the loose edges of the ends under, with one side overlapping the other side a teeny bit, and pin in place.

Slip stitch the edges in place. Note that it's very easy to hide imperfect stitches in polar fleece. The fluffiness helps mask irregular stitching.

When your done, flip over the hat and examine the seam that you made on the machine. If it's not sewn completely shut, you may need to touch up some lose ends (e.g. in case your machine seam wasn't long enough).

Congrats! The next step is fun!

Have a glass of wine to celebrate.

Thread a needle and knot the end of thread about a foot long. Weave a seam in and out of the straight edge of the strip. Keep your stitches close together.

When you get to the end, pull the thread and push the fabric toward the knot to make a gather. Like magic, a flower will appear.

Wind the edges around the smallest part and sew it together from the bottom. When your are done you will have a gorgeous flower.

Sew the flower to the hat securely at several spots around the flower.

Warning. Making these hats is addicting. I couldn't stop.

Check out my blog to read of my addiction.

Enjoy!