Fold Over Elastic Hair Ties have been quite popular for a while now. They are incredibly simple to make and are just as good if not better than the ones that sell for $3-5 each! These make wonderful gifts for anybody with hair long enough to pull into a pony tail. For those with shorter hair, this same process can be used for making headbands.

DIY Fold Over Elastic Hair Ties

There are two main types of Fold Over Elastic (FOE) that are made into hair ties , standard and glitter. The steps are the same, the needed length is just a bit different.

For standard FOE, cut the elastic at 7.5 inches; for glitter, use 8.5 inches. If the person you are making these for has extra thick hair, add 1/2 – 1 inch to the cut length.

Fold the piece of elastic in half so that the ends meet then tie in a knot. Make sure the knot is tight. Use a lighter and bring the cut end close to the flame until the end starts to melt. This will seal the end so that it will not unravel.

Headbands are made just like the hair ties, only the cut length is 18 inches.

Some of my favorite places to buy elastic include Sunshine Shoppe, Elastic By The Yard and Ebay. A fun way to package them up for gifts could be sitting on top of crinkle paper in a Chinese Takeout Box.

Don’t have time to make your own? Order some from Simply {Darr}ling!