Quick answer
Cut velvet with the nap running the same direction on every piece, sew with a slightly longer straight stitch and a walking foot if you have one, then turn the tube before threading elastic. Test on a scrap first so you know how your velvet behaves.
Why velvet needs a different setup from cotton
Velvet has a pile, so the two directions of the fabric do not look or behave the same. If you cut one piece with the nap up and another with it down, the finished hair tie can look patchy in raking light. Decide the nap direction before you cut and keep every piece oriented the same way.
The pile also affects feeding. The presser foot can drag the top layer forward while the feed dogs pull the bottom layer, which produces a wavy seam. A walking foot or a strip of tissue paper under the seam helps, but it is not mandatory. If you do not have either, sew slowly and check the seam after every few centimetres.
Choose a velvet that survives a hair tie
Stretch velvet and crushed velvet are common for hair accessories because they drape and recover. A stiff upholstery velvet can work but may feel bulky once gathered around elastic. There is no single correct choice; test a scrap by stretching it gently and releasing it to see whether it springs back.
If your velvet is very slippery, a narrow seam allowance is harder to control. A slightly wider allowance gives you more room to trim without clipping the seam. The trade-off is a little more bulk inside the tube, which matters on small hair ties.
Cleaning up lint before you sew
Velvet attracts lint and pet hair, and those fibres can end up trapped in the seam. A velvet glove is a practical way to lift loose fibres from the cut pieces before you pin them. Run it over the fabric in one direction rather than scrubbing back and forth.
Do not use a sticky lint roller on deep-pile velvet if you are unsure how the pile will react; test on an offcut first. If you are sewing a gift or a photo-ready hair tie, clean the fabric before construction rather than after, when the tube is harder to reach.
Velvet hair tie steps
- Cut a test strip first: Cut a scrap of your velvet about 10 cm long and sew a straight line with your normal stitch length. If the fabric puckers or the seam ripples, lengthen the stitch slightly and loosen the top tension a little before cutting the real pieces. Do not adjust tension on the final hair tie; dial it in on the scrap.
- Mark the nap direction: Run your hand across the velvet to find the direction that feels smooth. Mark that direction with a pin or chalk on the wrong side of every piece, and cut all pieces with the nap running the same way. If you cannot feel a clear nap, treat one direction as the reference and keep it consistent anyway.
- Cut a rectangle with a generous seam allowance: For a standard hair tie, cut a rectangle roughly 45 cm by 10 cm, or adjust the length to your preferred gather. Use a 1 cm seam allowance so you have room to trim later. Cut with sharp scissors and avoid stretching the fabric as you cut. Measure twice; velvet shows pin marks and stretched edges.
- Sew the long seam: Fold the rectangle right sides together and pin along the long edge, placing pins parallel to the seam so they are easy to remove. Sew with a straight stitch, backtacking at both ends. If the fabric slips, place a strip of tissue paper under the seam and tear it away afterwards. Check for skipped stitches every few centimetres; velvet can hide them in the pile.
- Turn and press carefully: Trim the seam allowance to about 5 mm without clipping the stitches. Turn the tube right side out. Press the seam lightly from the wrong side with a low iron and a pressing cloth, or steam it without touching the iron to the pile. Never press velvet directly with a hot iron; the pile can crush permanently.
- Thread the elastic and close the tube: Cut a length of elastic that fits comfortably around your hair, usually 15 to 20 cm for an adult, and thread it through the tube using a safety pin. Overlap the tube ends by about 1 cm, sew them together securely, then sew the elastic ends together and tuck them inside. Try the elastic around your wrist before closing; it should hold without leaving a deep mark.
- Clean the finished hair tie: Run a velvet glove over the finished hair tie to lift any lint or pet hair from the pile. Check the seam for loose threads and trim them close to the fabric rather than pulling them. Clean before storing; trapped lint in the pile is harder to remove later.
Product facts
-
Gant velours: The Gant velours is a velvet glove designed to remove threads, lint, dust and pet hair from textiles, and it is available in two colours. Keep one beside your cutting mat so you can clean velvet pieces before they are sewn into a hair tie.
Gant velours
