Double Thick Ear Muff Style Polar Fleece Headband

I needed a ear warmer headband that would more completely cover my ears, so I measured where my ears are on my head, and came up with this simple design.  I have made headbands for many of my friends and family, so it seems to work on other heads, too.  It is another great way to use up small scraps of polar fleece and make something that can be used for many outside activities during the cold weather.  It is also fun, because it is so fast and easy, satisfying both the desire to get a project done AND make several gifts quickly!

Be sure to print this pattern at only 100%: pattern for polar fleece ear muff style headband ear warmer.  When my computer opens the Adobe attachment, it automatically fits it to size the page, which seems to be 225%.  No one with that big of a head at my house!  You should be able to change the size to 100% with the Adobe menu bar that shows up if you hover your mouse at the bottom of the page.  Click on the fancy A on the far right, and another menu bar will appear on the top.  Slightly to the right of center is a box that lets you adjust the size according to percentage of original.

The headbands work best if cut so that the slight stretch of the polar fleece is going around the circle. Also, don’t miss the fact that the pattern is to be cut on a fold.  

Cut two pieces of polar fleece that will be sewn together to make the double thick headband.

Sew ONLY the long, curvy edges with a regular straight stitch.  No need to reinforce or  finish edges.

I use my 12-Inch Straight Hemostat to turn the headband right side out. The hemostat is a great tool for turning ties, too. My husband has threatened to take the hemostats for his fishing tackle box because the pair he has is smaller…

Once the headband is right side out, it can be helpful to use your fingers to press the seams open some. This will make the top stitching easier to do, but you will also have to keep working the seam some while sewing, to help the edges keep the shape as you top stitch. It is not hard, just something to be aware of and do.

Top stitch about an 1/8 inch from the edge of the two long sides of the headband.  The ends are still unfinished.

Making the top stitched edges even on both sides, pin all                                                     layers of the back seam together and sew in about a 1/4 inch seam.  

If the person you are making the headband for is handy, this is a good time to try it on for a fit.  Small adjustments can be made in the size of the back seam to make it smaller.  If it needs to be bigger, I suggest finding another person for that particular headband, then cutting the next one a little longer on the ends.

Back to the sewing process of the one you are working on, use a couple of zig zag rows to sew the bulk of the seam down flat.   The headband is complete!

If you want to make someone an extra special gift combo, may I suggest you make them a pair of convertible mittens to match their ear muff style headband?  These mittens are great for running in the winter.

You can see on a couple of the examples in the very top photo that it is not necessary to use the same fabric for both layers of the headband. Since the back seam doesn’t show when the headband is worn, this makes it reversible. So, go dig into the small left over pieces of polar fleece that you weren’t sure what to do with and make some headbands!