Today’s sewing project is quick to make and super easy! It can be done in under an hour and is just perfect for the upcoming holiday season for that reason! Need an extra stocking stuffer or a quick pet gift that doesn’t take hours to make? This bandana is the perfect go-to! Bust out four or five of these in one day, making one for the whole family, and you’re good to go!
Welcome to project number four in the #UseUpYourStashChallenge! If you’ve been following along this whole time, you know we’re in a push to use up some of our extra crafty material stash before the end of the year. You can check out some of the other projects here:
- How To Make A Tulle Overlay Dress
- How To Make A Layering Mesh Top
- How To Make Your Own Statement Pants
This bandana project is great for using up scraps and as a bonus, can be reversible! It’s great for spring and summer and won’t leave you feeling burnt out after the finished project. Now let’s get into sewing!
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Approximate time put into this project: 30-60 minutes, including measuring, cutting fabric, and sewing
What You’ll Need:
- Half a yard/meter of lightweight fabric – two different kinds if you’re making it reversible
- An old cotton bedsheet would be perfect for this project if you wanted to thrift or use up extra things already lying around your house
- Matching thread
- Sewing machine
- Sewing pins
- Scissors
- Fabric tape measure
- Iron and ironing board (optional)
- Bias tape (optional) – or make your own using the method used in this post to make drawstring ties
- A snap (optional, but recommended for pet bandanas) and sewing needle for sewing by hand
Disclaimer: I am trying to teach myself the Metric System, I will always try to include both measurements in my tutorials, i.e. centimeters and inches, meters, and yards. Though I have been using them interchangeably in my everyday sewing life lately, I apologize if I miss including both or switch between the two too often.
Cutting Your Fabric
This bandana is super easy and only needs two squares to make the whole project. It can be made with two different techniques, either with or without bias tape.
To make this bandana you need to determine how big you want it.
For reference, the wonderful, @gettaziwithit in the photo above was our intended recipient – and model for this bandana. He’s a husky, malamute, samoyed mix, i.e. lots of fur, and a very big amount of it to tie this around.
- For this dog, I made a 22″ x 22″ (56cm x 56cm) bandana.
- If you’re making a bandana for your cat, I recommend a 10″ x 10″ (26cm x 26cm) bandana, unless your cat is super furry or has a thicker neck than your average Siamese cat does, then maybe increase the overall size by 2″ – 3″ (5cm – 8cm).
- If you’re making one to wear on your head, more of an average bandana size, I recommend anywhere from an 18″ x 18″ (46cm x 46cm) up to a 24″ x 24″ (61cm x 61cm) bandana.
- If you’re making one to wear on your shoulders, I recommend 49″ x 49″ (125cm x 125cm).
- If you’re making a long, rectangular headscarf to wear more like a hood, or to tie into a cute top, I recommend around 28″ x 79″ (71cm x 200cm).
- Alternatively, a square shape of 44″ x 44″ (112cm x 112cm) would work, but to tie it on your head you would need to first fold it in half into a triangle, meaning the tip of the headscarf would stick out when you tie it on your head. It just depends on the look you’re going for.
Cut two of your desired fabric in your desired width. That’s it. That’s literally all you have to cut for this project.
Sewing The Bandana: Method One
Take your two squares and pin them together with right sides facing. Make sure you mark a 2″ (5cm) section where you will not sew closed. This will be left open so we can pull it right sides out.
Sew it together, leaving that section open then pull the bandana through the hole. Iron if desired and pin the edges in place to keep everything crisp, flat, and even. Then sew a top stitch around the very most outer edge. You can sew a second line of stitches just inside the first row for a finished look.
Optionally, you can sew a snap in the corners, placing one piece of the snap in two corners when the bandana is folded into a triangle, how you would normally wear and tie it. I recommend tying the knot first so you can see how the snap needs to sit before you sew the snap on.
Sewing The Bandana: Method Two
Take your two squares and place them together, with wrong sides facing. Pin your bias tape around all edges and sew it together as you normally would sew bias tape.
And with that, this easy bandana is done! Yes, that’s literally it.
The Finished Results
The finished results give us this adorably handsome dog in his cute little bandana. What do you think?
I would love to see what bandanas you put together and how you wear them. If you make one – tag me on Instagram @doorsandfloorsblog and use the hashtags #UseUpYourStashChallenge #SewingCat and #DoorsAndFloorsBlog so I can see what you make!
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P.S. Looking for a fun activity you can do with a friend while working on tedious crafty tasks, download our free trivia here.
Playing trivia is a great way to keep your mind active and have fun with your crafty friends and family while busting out those seam ripping, crocheting, and other time-consuming, but necessary, crafty tasks.
