Easy to Sew Two-Sided Scarf

The scarf is a mainstay in every girl’s wardrobe these days and a two-sided scarf makes that wardrobe stretch, giving it so many more possibilities! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to customize your scarves to fit your outfits exactly the way you’d like them to? Well, you can! And it’s easy! All it takes is a little fabric, a few minutes, and 2 straight seams. Let me show you:

How to Make an Easy to Sew Two-Sided Scarf

What you’ll need:

• 2 different fabrics, approx. 10 inches x 2 yards long (width and length can vary, depending on the size and look you want for your finished product)
• ruler
• rotary cutter and mat or sharp scissors
• sewing machine (or sewing needle if hand sewing) with coordinating thread
• iron

• Step 1 – Choose your fabric! Our daughter came home from her time in Africa with some yardage of batiks and African prints. This project was the perfect excuse to dig into my stash and put some to good use! I’m very visual, so laying it out on the floor side-by-side helped me see what colors and patterns might compliment or coordinate nicely together.  I may wear the scarf with only one side or the other showing, but I just might be in the mood to live on the edge, twist things up and let both sides show!  Another important thing to keep in mind is the weight of the fabric. Having two heavier fabrics that do not bend and twist easily will make for a bulky scarf.  I opted for the two lighter-weight fabrics in the top center of the above photo.
• Step 2 – Cut first piece of fabric to desired width. Mine was 9 1/2 inches, which would make a scarf 9 inches wide using 1/4 inch seams. You can make the length and width any size you’d like, just be sure to add 1/4 to 5/8 inch to the width to allow for the seam allowance. Set this aside and cut the second piece of fabric to the same dimensions. My rotary cutter and mat made this step quick and easy, but a pair of scissors would work just fine.
• Step 3 – Stack the two fabric strips, right sides together. Using a straight stitch (sewing machine or by hand) on one of the longest sides, begin sewing at about 3 inches down from the top edge. Sew a seam all the way down, stopping about 3 inches from the end.  Repeat on the other long side, leaving the two short edges open and unstitched, creating a tube.
• Step 4 – Now you need to turn your fabric tube right-side-out. I pushed my hand between the layers and scrunched all the excess down over my wrist, allowing my fingers to wiggle out the top (if you are making a narrower scarf, you can use a wooden spoon or crochet hook or back scratcher or whatever!) After testing out my padded-super-hero-fist-bumps on my 11 year old son, I grabbed hold of the top edge of my scarf tube and pulled it in on itself, flipping right side out and pulling wrong side in. 
• Step 5 – Now iron. This is important, especially if you want the different fabrics to stay on the side in which they were intended.  Straighten the seams as best as possible and then iron on the hottest setting your fabric will allow.
• Step 6 – Now for the finishing touches. For a fringed edge, mark a line (or lay a straight edge) 3 (or 4, or 5, etc) inches up from the bottom edge. Cut 1/2 inch strips all the way across, cutting through both layers of fabric. You might find it helpful to use a piece of chalk or a pencil to mark the lines and then cut with scissors. I’m a bit of a free spirit and tend to wing it with these projects!  You could also tuck the raw edge in and sew a seam close along the ends for a more tailored look, or cut it at an angle. Get creative!
• Step 7 – Knot each loose strip to limit the fraying and to define the fringe. Some fabrics may not need the knots. It’s your call. The fringe could be longer for a little different look.  And that’s it! You’re done!
• Step 8 – And now, the hardest step of all – which side to wear first!?! My littlest assistant helped me out by trying it every which way, but we only scratched the surface of possibilities.

 Easy, right?  Ready to show your style and whip up your own? Your friends and family will be amazed! They’ll want to know where you shop! Sorry, folks, this is a one of a kind. But now you can show them how to get their own easy to sew two-sided scarf!

Want More Scarf Week Inspiration?

The sewing fun has only just begun!  Be sure to chomp those shark scarf teeth into each of these inspirational D.I.Y. projects hitting the blog-o-sphere today.

Click the images above or links below to check ’em out.

1.  Quick and Easy Knit Infinity Scarf by It Happens in a Blink

2.  Simplest DIY Lace Infinity Scarf by The Southern Couture

3.  Sewing a Patchwork Loop Scarf by It Was Weekend

4.  How to Make a Bandana Scarf for Baby by Burlap & Babies

5.  Upcycled Scrappy Scarf by Lucky Scarf

6.   Lace Trimmed Jersey Knit Scarf by One Dog Woof

7.  Scrap-Busting Children’s Scarf With Pockets by Crafty Bonds

8.  Easy to Sew DIY Two-Sided Scarf by Apron Strings & Other Things

9.  Kids Infinity Scarf by The Crafting Nook

10.  Wire Head Scarf Tutorial for the Beginner Sewist by The Thinking Closet

Coming Soon….

Here’s a glimpse at what’s coming up next!

To access all 5 days of Scarf Week, visit our co-coordinators, Lauren from The Thinking Closet and Vanessa from Tried & True.  They’ll be updating their posts with the clickable collages as they go live this week.  And you can also follow along with our hashtag, #ScarfWeek2015.

It’ll be wave after wave of killer inspiration, no fish-bones about it!

And be sure to stop back here on Friday to see my next scarf tutorial!

Stay scarfy,

Linda

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