Quick Handmade Gift: Infinity Scarf

I sometimes peruse the red tag aisle at JoAnn in hopes that I'll find a gem of a fabric that will spark an idea. Last week during such a perusal (I swear that's the last time I'll use that word in this post) I found a handful of those gems that were begging to be taken to the cut counter. What were they begging me to make them into, you ask? Scarves, of course! So I'm here today to share how I made one of the fabrics I found into an infinity scarf.

You've probably seen a few tutorials here and there on how to make an infinity scarf. I think I even pinned a pretty lace one myself at one point. But never having looked at any of tutorials, I just decided that I was going to figure it out on my own. I have a couple of infinity scarves, and since I'm sewing instead of knitting, I figured it'd be a pretty simple project. If I hadn't been taking photos as I went, I'd estimate that this scarf took about 10 minutes to make, tops. So those last few holiday gifts you need? Done. Right here. Quick and easy. Check it out:

What you'll need:
• 1 yard of fabric. This fabric should be something with a bit of drape to it: voile, (what I used) jersey, silk, you get the idea. Heck even flannel would probably do. It's up to you- I just wouldn't go for anything stiff, like canvas, or really even quilting cotton. Save fleece for a regular old scarf. Think soft and flowy. And a slightly wider width- mine was 58". Anything between 50-60" wide should be perfect.
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Coordinating thread
• Pins

So first, lay out your fabric and cut the long side in half. So I started with a 58" x 36" rectangle, and when I cut it, I ended up with two 29" x 36" rectangles.

Next, lay your two rectangles on top of one another with right sides facing together. Pin the edges of one 29" side and then sew a straight line with up to a 1/2" seam allowance. I spent a lot of time pinning on this step since my fabric has a very fine, gold stripe, and I wanted to make sure it matched up as best as possible. (Note: if you want to skip this step and NOT have a seam in the middle of your scarf, get 2 yards of fabric, cut in half length wise, and you can make two scarves!)

Then press your seam open. Now you should have a really long rectangle, about 29" x 71". Folding your fabric in half longwise, pin the two raw edges of the longest sides together. I chose to cut of the selvedge of my fabric at this point since it's so sheer, I didn't want to add to much bulk inside. (Pardon my cheesy paisley ironing board cover... that's another project in process to be shared here at a later date.)

Next you're going to sew a straight line, again with about a 1/2" seam, all the way down the two 71" sides. Basically you'll be making one big tube of fabric.

Once you've finished that, you'll need to fold over the hem on one of the short ends 1/2". I used a seam gauge and the end of my ironing board to press my hem- wrong side of the fabric still facing out, wrong sides together.

Now you can flip your fabric right side out so all your seams are inside the tube. Lay the fabric flat and press. Bring the two unfinished ends together in the middle (one with a pressed hem, one without)

I chose to add a little twist (literally) by flipping one side of the fabric so that the seam of the long ends didn't match up when I put the two short ends together. This is optional, but I think it adds a nice touch to an infinity scarf.

Fit the raw hem inside the pressed hem 1/2" and pin. Then sew a straight line down the middle of where the two edges meet. I lined my pressed hem up with the left edge of my presser foot to make sure I picked up all of the layers.

Next.... wrap it up and gift it, or wear it! That's it. Easy-peasy. I loved the fabric I found because it seemed like a weight that could be worn year-round with a variety of outfits. That and the little bit of sparkle in the gold stripe reminded me of the friend I'm going to give it to tonight! Who do you plan on making an infinity scarf for?