Top Knot Headbands with Take Heart by J. Wecker Frisch -

Welcome to My Valentine’s Workshop!

Hi, I’m Alexis from Stitched By Alexis (@StitchedbyAlexis)! Today, I’m excited to share a fun and versatile project that’s perfect for any occasion. Whether you need:

A cute, personalized gift
A festive holiday accessory, or
Some spirited school wear

This top-knot headband has you covered! I’ll provide tips and alterations I’ve made along the way, so let’s dive in and start creating!

Supplies

You’ll need the following to get started:

Pattern/Tutorial: Ducka dilly
Template: Duckadilly
Headbands: Option 1 & Option 2 used
1 fat quarter (FQ) of desired fabric
Low-temp hot glue gun & refill sticks
Binding clips
Iron & ironing board
Pencil with eraser or turning tool (explained below)
Rotary cutter and cutting board
Scissors
Sewing machine
Hand-sewing thread and needle

Fabric Choices

For this project, I used the Take Heart collection by J. Wecker Frisch for Riley Blake Designs to enhance the Valentine’s Day vibe. You can explore the collection HERE.

Fabrics used in this tutorial:

Getting Started

Prepare the Template
Cut, piece, and tape your template together. Then, trace it onto the wrong side of your fabric. Be sure to follow the instructions for grain alignment—this is especially important if you’re adding a lining, as it ensures the stretch works correctly.
Leave an Opening
Leave a 1–2-inch opening for turning your headband.

Hot Tip

Trim the seam allowance around the curved ends to about 1/8 inch. This reduces bulk when turning (not shown—sorry!).

Note: I skipped interfacing or fleece as recommended in the Duckadilly tutorial to keep the headbands more delicate and pliable.

Turning Your Headband

I’m all about using what you already have. No need for special tools! I used a pencil with a soft eraser tip as my turning tool—it worked perfectly.

Press for Perfection

Once you’ve turned your headband, give it a good press with your iron. (A little starch wouldn’t hurt either!) Even without it, the final product still looks adorable.

Hand Sew The Closure

Use a whip stitch or a ladder stitch to close the 1–2-inch opening. I prefer the ladder stitch. If you’re new to this, check out a helpful video tutorial HERE.

Tie A Knot

If you’re adding a lining to hide the plastic headband, do this step first.Then, tie a pretty knot in the center of your fabric. Slip the headband into the underside of the knot.

Hot Tip

Centering the knot can be tricky! Once the plastic headband is in place, use binding clips on the ends to keep it steady. Adjust the knot until it’s mostly centered.

Taper the Tips

This is my personal recommendation! The original tutorial keeps the ends wide, but I found that they stick out awkwardly behind your ears. To fix this, fold the tips in and secure them with a small dot of hot glue. Problem solved!

Finished Products

Aren’t these just adorable? The entire process takes less than an hour per headband, and you can easily make several in one session. These headbands are affordable (just a few dollars each) and great for using up fabric scraps.

Story Time

Remember how I said these are perfect for school spirit wear? My kid is in high school marching band, and for the last competition of the season, I made a handful of headbands in our school colors to hand out to fellow band moms.

In minutes, I had a line of moms wanting one to show support for their kids and the school. It was such a fun and inexpensive way to create a sense of community!