Yarn in pink
15 g
Worsted (4) · 100% acrylic · 15 g
About 15 g is an approximate allowance for all three rounds. A soft acrylic gives a light, squishy ruffle; cotton works too but makes a firmer, heavier scrunchie.
Crochet Accessories
Ruffled Crochet Scrunchie
A soft, full scrunchie crocheted straight onto a hair elastic in three rounds
A ruffled hair scrunchie made by crocheting directly around a plain hair elastic, so there is no fabric tube to sew and no elastic to thread. Three rounds do it all: single crochet around the elastic, three double crochet in every stitch for the ruffle, and a single crochet edge. It takes one small ball of worsted yarn and only beginner stitches.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Time
- 1 hr
- Hook
- 4 mm (G/6)
- Yarn
- Worsted (4)
- Size
- A plain fabric-covered hair elastic about 2 in / 5 cm across, unstretched, with no metal join
- Construction
- Three joined rounds worked directly around a hair elastic, without turning
Testing statusNot yet human-tested
Nobody has made this one start to finish yet. Check your stitch counts as you go, and tell us if something does not add up.
- Finished width
- About 4 in / 10 cm across, lying flat (approximate; varies with yarn and tension)
- Terminology
- US terms
- Sewing
- No sewing
About This Pattern
A ruffled hair scrunchie made by crocheting directly around a plain hair elastic, so there is no fabric tube to sew and no elastic to thread. Three rounds do it all: single crochet around the elastic, three double crochet in every stitch for the ruffle, and a single crochet edge. It takes one small ball of worsted yarn and only beginner stitches.
You'll learn / practice
- Slip knot
- Single crochet around a hair elastic
- Double crochet
- Joining a round with a slip stitch
- Weaving in ends
Pattern construction
Construction
Three joined rounds worked directly around a hair elastic, without turning
No sewing required
What you'll need
Gather these before you begin.
Materials (3)
Required (2)Optional (1)
Hair elastic
1
One plain fabric-covered hair tie about 2 in / 5 cm across, with no metal join, so it does not snag your hair.
Yarn in whiteOptional
5 g
Worsted (4) · 100% acrylic · 5 g
Only for the two-color edge variation. About 5 g is an approximate allowance for Rnd 3.
If you swap a material
Cotton worsted yarn instead of acrylic
Crisper, heavier ruffle with less stretch; the scrunchie holds its shape well but feels firmer.
Keep the same 4 mm hook and stitch counts.
DK (3) yarn with a 3.5 mm hook
A smaller, lighter scrunchie with a less full ruffle and less yarn.
Work the same 60 sc in Rnd 1 so the elastic is still covered.
Tools (3)
Crochet hook 4.0 mm
Yarn needle
Scissors
Abbreviations
- ch
- chain
- sc
- single crochet
- dc
- double crochet
- sl st
- slip stitch
- st(s)
- stitch(es)
- Rnd
- round
Before You Start
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Instructions
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Round 1 of 3
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Round 1
With pink, make a slip knot and place it on the hook. Hold the hair elastic in your other hand, with the starting tail lying along the elastic. Insert the hook through the center of the elastic, yarn over, pull up a loop to the outside of the elastic, yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook: that is 1 sc worked around the elastic. Work 59 more sc around the elastic in the same way, working over the starting tail so it is hidden inside the stitches, and push the stitches together as you go so they bunch up and cover the elastic. Sl st in the first sc to join.
Stitch count: 60 stitches
Tips
60 sc packed closely around the elastic, with no elastic showing between stitches. The starting tail is covered by the stitches. The joining sl st is not counted.
Round 2
Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in the same st, 3 dc in each remaining st around. Sl st in the top of the ch-3 to join.
Stitch count: 180 stitches
Tips
180 dc: 3 dc in each of the 60 sc, counting the ch 3 as the first dc. The edge already ruffles and twists around the elastic. The joining sl st is not counted.
Round 3
Ch 1 (does not count as a st), sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st in the first sc to join. Fasten off, leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail.
Stitch count: 180 stitches
Tips
180 sc, one in each dc. The edge is a neat ruffle all the way around and the scrunchie stretches easily over your hand. The ch 1 and the joining sl st are not counted.
Round 1
With pink, make a slip knot and place it on the hook. Hold the hair elastic in your other hand, with the starting tail lying along the elastic. Insert the hook through the center of the elastic, yarn over, pull up a loop to the outside of the elastic, yarn over and pull through both loops on the hook: that is 1 sc worked around the elastic. Work 59 more sc around the elastic in the same way, working over the starting tail so it is hidden inside the stitches, and push the stitches together as you go so they bunch up and cover the elastic. Sl st in the first sc to join.
Stitch count: 60 stitches
Tips
60 sc packed closely around the elastic, with no elastic showing between stitches. The starting tail is covered by the stitches. The joining sl st is not counted.
Assembly & finishing
Finish the scrunchie
Thread the 6 in / 15 cm tail from Rnd 3 on the yarn needle and weave it through the back of 5 or 6 stitches along the inside of the ruffle, then back the other way through a few stitches, and trim it close. If the starting tail still shows after Rnd 1, weave it in the same way. Stretch the scrunchie over your hand a few times so the ruffle spreads evenly around the elastic.
Maker tips
Push the Rnd 1 stitches together every 10 stitches or so; 60 sc should bunch up on the elastic rather than lie flat.
Count Rnd 2 in groups: every sc from Rnd 1 gets exactly 3 dc, so every 10 groups make 30 dc and all 60 groups make 180 dc.
Keep your tension relaxed in Rnd 2 and Rnd 3 so the scrunchie can still stretch over your hand.
Troubleshooting
The elastic shows between the stitches in Rnd 1
- Cause
- The stitches are spread out instead of pushed together, or the elastic is larger than 2 in / 5 cm.
- Fix
- Slide the stitches together so they bunch up. With a bigger elastic, keep the 60 stitches but pack them firmly, or use a smaller elastic.
The scrunchie will not stretch over your hand
- Cause
- The stitches in Rnd 2 or Rnd 3 are pulled tight.
- Fix
- Work Rnds 2 and 3 with a looser tension or a 4.5 mm hook; the counts stay the same.
The ruffle looks flat
- Cause
- Fewer than 3 dc went into some stitches of Rnd 1.
- Fix
- Check the Rnd 2 count: it must be 180 dc, 3 in each of the 60 sc. For an even fuller ruffle, see the extra-full variation.
The joins line up into a visible seam
- Cause
- Each round starts in the same place.
- Fix
- This is normal for joined rounds. Turn the scrunchie so the joins sit underneath when you wear it.
Variations
Extra-full ruffle
Work Rnds 1 and 2 as written. Replace Rnd 3 with: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), dc in the same st, 2 dc in each remaining st around, sl st in the top of the ch-3 to join, and fasten off. Rnd 3 then has 360 dc, 2 in each of the 180 dc, and that round uses about three to four times as much yarn as the plain sc edge, so plan on about 25 g of yarn in total (approximate).
Two-color edge
You also need the optional white yarn. Work Rnds 1 and 2 in pink, but for the joining sl st at the end of Rnd 2, insert the hook in the top of the ch-3, yarn over with white and pull it through. Fasten off pink, leaving a 6 in / 15 cm tail. Work Rnd 3 as written in white. Weave in the pink and white tails as described in Finish the scrunchie.
Slim scrunchie
Work Rnds 1 and 2 as written, then fasten off after the joining sl st of Rnd 2 and weave in the tail. It has 180 dc and a softer, less defined edge.
Care & finishing
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a little mild soap, squeeze out the water without wringing, and let it dry flat away from direct heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this scrunchie suitable for beginners?
Yes. You need a slip knot, chain, slip stitch, single crochet and double crochet. The only unusual part is working the first round around the elastic instead of into stitches, and Rnd 1 explains that step by step.
Do I need to sew anything?
No. The stitches go straight around the elastic, so there is no tube to sew shut. You only use the yarn needle to weave in the tails.
How long does it take to make?
About 1 hour at a relaxed beginner pace. That is an estimate, not a timed result; your time will vary with your tension and experience.
Can I use a hair elastic with a metal join?
It is better not to. A metal join can catch on the stitches and snag hair. A plain fabric-covered elastic about 2 in / 5 cm across works best.
How much yarn do I need?
Roughly 15 g of worsted yarn for the scrunchie as written. That is an approximate allowance, so start with a ball of at least 25 g to be safe. The extra-full variation uses more, about 25 g in total (approximate), so start with a bigger ball for it.
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