The crochet scrunchie is the best beginner project I know of, and the reason is slightly unusual: you don’t have to count. Learning how to crochet a scrunchie takes about twenty minutes and almost no counting.
- Skill level: Beginner
- Time: About 20 minutes
- Yarn: DK weight cotton (about 10 m)
- Hook: 3.0mm or 3.5mm
- Finished size: About 5 cm across
- Terms: US crochet terms
Every other beginner project punishes a miscount. A dishcloth goes crooked, an amigurumi goes lopsided, a granny square won’t lie flat. A scrunchie doesn’t care. You work stitches around a hair elastic until it’s covered, then you double them. Sixty-two stitches or fifty-eight — it makes no visible difference, because the whole thing gathers into a ruffle anyway.
That removes the single biggest source of beginner frustration. It’s also finished in twenty minutes, uses about ten metres of yarn, and is genuinely nicer than a shop-bought one.
What you need to know first
- single crochet
- double crochet
- chain stitch
- Joining a round with a slip stitch
That’s the entire skill list. There’s no magic ring, no shaping, no turning, and no rows.
What you need
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A hair elastic. A plain one, about 5 cm across. The thick fabric-covered kind works better than thin rubber bands — it holds its shape and gives your stitches something to grip. Whatever colour, since none of it will be visible.
Cotton yarn, DK weight. Cotton is the right choice here. It’s washable, it doesn’t pill, and it holds the ruffle. Acrylic works but goes limp over time. Avoid wool — it felts, and a hair accessory picks up oils and gets washed often, which is exactly what felts wool.
A 3.0mm or 3.5mm hook.
Scissors and a tapestry needle.
About ten metres of yarn total, so this is a scrap project. One 50g ball makes roughly five scrunchies.
Cathrinee’s Supply Kit
Everything you need for this project
A note on terms
This pattern uses US crochet terms.
- ch = chain
- sc = single crochet (UK double crochet)
- dc = double crochet (UK treble)
- sl st = slip stitch
- st(s) = stitch(es)
How to crochet a scrunchie, step by step
Round 1 — covering the elastic
This round is worked around the elastic itself, not into any stitches. If you’ve never crocheted around an object before, it’s easier than it sounds — treat the elastic like a very thick strand of yarn.
Step 1. Make a slip knot on your hook.
Step 2. Hold the elastic in your non-dominant hand. Insert your hook through the middle of the ring, catch the working yarn from behind, and pull a loop up through the centre. You now have two loops on the hook.
Step 3. Yarn over and pull through both loops. That’s your first single crochet, sitting on the elastic.
Step 4. Repeat. Hook through the ring, catch the yarn, pull up a loop, yarn over, through both.
Step 5. Keep going all the way around until the elastic is completely covered.
Two things matter here and nothing else does:
Push your stitches together as you work. Slide them along the elastic so they sit snugly side by side. Gaps at this stage mean visible elastic in the finished scrunchie.
Don’t stretch the elastic while you work. It’s tempting to pull it taut for control, but stitches placed onto a stretched elastic will be too far apart when it relaxes — and worse, the scrunchie won’t stretch properly when you use it. Let the elastic sit at its natural size.
How many stitches? Somewhere around 55 to 70 for a standard elastic in DK cotton. Don’t count. Work until it’s covered, snugly, with no gaps and no crowding. This is the part that makes the project forgiving — the next round works into every stitch regardless of how many there are.
Join with a sl st into your first sc.
Round 2 — the ruffle
The ruffle comes from putting twice as many stitches into round 2 as you have in round 1. More stitches than the circumference can hold means the fabric has to gather, and gathering is the whole effect.
Ch 3 (this counts as your first dc).
Work 1 dc into the same stitch.
Then work 2 dc into every stitch around.
Join with a sl st into the top of your ch-3.
Fasten off, leaving a tail of about 15 cm. Weave it in with your tapestry needle — go one direction through the back of the stitches, then turn and come back the other way. A hair accessory gets pulled at constantly, and a single pass will work loose.
That’s the scrunchie finished. It’ll look flat and unconvincing until you scrunch it in your hands, at which point the ruffle appears.
Three variations
Extra fluffy. Work 3 dc into every stitch in round 2 instead of 2. Triple the stitches, triple the gather. Uses about half again as much yarn and makes a noticeably bigger, poufier scrunchie.
Shell scrunchie. In round 2: skip 2 sts, work 5 dc into the next st, skip 2 sts, sl st into the next st, repeat around. Gives a scalloped edge rather than a dense ruffle. Prettier, slightly more delicate, and it does need your round 1 count to be a multiple of 6 — so this is the one variation where counting matters.
Two-tone. Work round 1 in one colour, fasten off, and join a second colour for round 2. Since round 1 mostly disappears under the ruffle, you get a subtle peek of the first colour rather than a stripe.
Troubleshooting
It’s not ruffly enough. Either round 1 has too few stitches, or round 2 didn’t double them. Check that you genuinely worked 2 dc into every stitch, including the one under the ch-3.
I can see the elastic through the stitches. Round 1 stitches were too spread out. Push them tightly together as you go. There’s no fix after round 2 — this one needs redoing, which is annoying but it’s a twenty-minute project.
It won’t stretch enough to go around my hair. You worked round 1 with the elastic stretched. The stitches now restrict it. This is the most common scrunchie mistake and the reason the warning above is in bold.
It feels stiff and doesn’t scrunch. Tension too tight, or the yarn is too heavy for the elastic. Try a lighter yarn or loosen up in round 2.
The join looks messy. Normal, and it hides itself once the ruffle gathers. If it bothers you, position the join at the underside where the hair sits.
My stitch count came out odd and the shell variation won’t work. Add or remove a stitch or two in round 1 to reach a multiple of 6. Nobody will see it.
Caring for it
Hand wash in cool water with a little mild soap. Squeeze gently, don’t wring — wringing distorts the ruffle.
Reshape while damp and lay flat to dry.
Don’t tumble dry. The heat is what kills the elastic, and the elastic is the only part you can’t repair.
Cotton scrunchies hold up for years with that treatment. The yarn will outlast the hair elastic inside it, which is worth knowing — you can’t easily replace it, so when the elastic goes, the scrunchie does.
Why these make good gifts
Small, quick, universally useful, and genuinely nice in cotton. A set of three or four in coordinating colours, tied with a ribbon, is one of the better handmade gifts you can produce in an evening.
They’re also an excellent use for the leftover cotton from bigger projects — the balls too small for a dishcloth and too big to throw away.
What’s next
If you liked working around an object, the same technique covers bangles, curtain rings, and jar rims.
For another single-sitting project, the crochet flower keychain uses a similar amount of yarn and time.
Want your next project picked for you? Browse our beginner crochet patterns — 15 free projects, ordered from easiest to hardest.
Frequently asked questions
How many stitches do I need for a crochet scrunchie?
Roughly 55 to 70 single crochets around a standard 5 cm elastic in DK cotton, but the exact number doesn’t matter. Work until the elastic is covered with no gaps, then double the stitch count in the second round.
What’s the best yarn for crochet scrunchies?
DK cotton. It’s washable, holds the ruffle, and doesn’t pill. Avoid wool, which felts when washed.
Can you crochet a scrunchie without a hair tie?
You can crochet a flat tube and thread elastic through it, but it’s more work and the result is usually less neat. Working directly onto the elastic is faster and holds better.
Why won’t my crochet scrunchie stretch?
You stretched the elastic while working round 1, so the stitches now sit too tightly against it. Keep the elastic at its natural size while you crochet.
How long does it take to crochet a scrunchie?
About twenty minutes for a first attempt, ten to fifteen once you’ve made a couple.
How much yarn does a crochet scrunchie use?
Around ten metres. A single 50g ball of DK cotton makes about five.
Can I wash a crochet scrunchie?
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry. Never tumble dry — the heat destroys the elastic inside.
Are crochet scrunchies good for your hair?
Cotton is gentler than plastic hair ties and less likely to snag, though the crocheted texture can catch on very fine hair. Smooth mercerised cotton is the kindest option.
You are welcome to sell items you make from this pattern. Please do not republish the pattern text — link to this page instead. Pattern © The Hook Line Stitcher.
How do you crochet a scrunchie?
Attach yarn to a hair elastic with a slip stitch, then work double crochet stitches around the elastic until it is completely covered. Add a second round into those stitches for extra ruffle, then join and fasten off.
How many stitches do I need to cover a hair elastic?
Enough to cover it completely with no elastic showing — usually 55 to 70 double crochet depending on the elastic size and your yarn. Work until you have gone all the way around rather than counting to a fixed number.
How do I make my crochet scrunchie more ruffly?
Add a second round, working two double crochet into every stitch of the first round. The more stitches you add, the fuller the ruffle. One round gives a subtle scrunchie, two gives a proper voluminous one.
What yarn is best for a crochet scrunchie?
Soft DK or worsted weight cotton or acrylic. Avoid anything scratchy or stiff since it sits against hair, and avoid very thick yarn which makes the scrunchie bulky and hard to wrap.
How long does a crochet scrunchie take?
About thirty to forty minutes, using roughly 30 yards. They are one of the best scrap projects and very easy to make in batches as gifts.
