Amazing! Learn to Knit Scrunchies 3 Ways

If you’ve been looking for a fun, fast, and incredibly satisfying knitting project, you’ve just found your new favorite obsession. Scrunchies are one of those rare crafts that tick every box: they’re small enough to finish in a single sitting, useful enough that you’ll actually use what you make, and charming enough that everyone around you will want one too. Today, we’re diving deep into the world of knitted scrunchies, and not just one version — we’re going to walk through three completely different ways to knit them. Whether you’re a total beginner picking up needles for the first time or a seasoned knitter looking for a quick and rewarding project, this guide has something just for you.

So grab your yarn, find your needles, and let’s get started on this wonderful journey of learning to knit scrunchies three ways.

Why Knitted Scrunchies Are the Perfect Project

Before we jump into the patterns themselves, let’s take a moment to appreciate why knitted scrunchies have become such a beloved project in the fiber arts community.

First, the time commitment is minimal. Most scrunchies can be knitted in under two hours, and some experienced knitters can whip one out in as little as thirty to forty-five minutes. That means you can start and finish a project in the same evening — something that’s genuinely rare in the world of knitting, where sweaters and blankets can take months.

Second, scrunchies are an excellent way to use up yarn scraps. If you’ve been knitting for any length of time, you probably have a growing collection of partial skeins and leftover yarn ends sitting in a basket somewhere. Scrunchies use so little yarn that they’re the perfect stash-buster project. A single scrunchie typically uses less than 20 grams of yarn, so you can go through your stash while making beautiful, practical accessories.

Third, scrunchies make incredible gifts. Handmade gifts carry a warmth and personal touch that store-bought items simply can’t match, and a knitted scrunchie is something almost everyone can appreciate. They’re gender-neutral enough to give to anyone, easily customized to match a recipient’s favorite colors, and small enough to pop into a birthday card or gift bag without any fuss.

Finally, scrunchies are a brilliant learning tool. If you’re new to knitting, working on a scrunchie teaches you essential skills — casting on, knitting, purling, binding off, and seaming — in a context where mistakes are low-stakes and the finished result is immediately usable.

Now, let’s look at what you’ll need before we get into the three methods.

What You’ll Need

Across all three methods, the basic supplies are fairly similar, though each variation has its own slight requirements. Here’s a general supply list to get you started:

Yarn: Bulky or super bulky yarn works beautifully for thick, luxurious scrunchies, while DK or worsted weight gives you something lighter and more delicate. If you want a fuzzy, velvety texture, velvet yarn is an extraordinary choice that has become a staple in the scrunchie-knitting community. For your first attempt, a smooth worsted weight yarn in your favorite color is ideal.

Needles: Depending on your method, you’ll use either straight needles or double-pointed needles (DPNs). For Method 1 and Method 2, straight needles in the US size 7 to 10 range (4.5mm to 6mm) work well for worsted to bulky yarn. For Method 3, which involves working in the round, a set of DPNs or a short circular needle in the same size range will be helpful.

Hair Elastic: This is the core of your scrunchie. Standard hair ties work perfectly, but if you want a larger, floppier scrunchie, use a slightly bigger or longer elastic. You can also adjust the elastic size based on your personal preference — there’s no wrong answer here.

Scissors and a Tapestry Needle: You’ll need these for finishing your work, weaving in ends, and seaming the knitted fabric around the elastic.

Stitch Markers (optional): These are helpful for Method 3 when working in the round, just to keep track of where your round begins and ends.

Method 1: The Classic Flat Knit Scrunchie

This is the most beginner-friendly approach and the one most knitters start with. The flat knit method involves knitting a rectangular strip of fabric and then sewing it around a hair elastic to create your scrunchie. It’s simple, effective, and endlessly customizable.

Materials for this method: Worsted weight yarn (approximately 10–15 grams), US size 8 straight needles (5mm), one hair elastic, scissors, and a tapestry needle.

Step 1: Cast On

Cast on 10 stitches using the long-tail cast on method or any cast on you’re comfortable with. The long-tail cast on gives a neat, elastic edge that looks lovely on the finished scrunchie.

Step 2: Knit Your Strip

Work in garter stitch (knit every row) until your strip is long enough to wrap around the elastic with a bit of overlap — typically around 40 to 50 rows, or roughly 10 to 12 inches in length. The strip should be able to wrap around the elastic while gathered slightly, which creates that signature ruffled scrunchie look. If you want a fuller, fluffier scrunchie, work a longer strip — up to 60 rows — and gather it more tightly. If you prefer something sleeker and more streamlined, 35 to 40 rows will do.

For a bit more visual interest, you can work in ribbing (alternating knit 1, purl 1 across) instead of garter stitch. This creates a more stretchy fabric that hugs the elastic nicely. Another fun option is seed stitch, which gives a lovely textured pattern and lies flat without curling at the edges.

Step 3: Bind Off

When your strip has reached the desired length, bind off all stitches loosely. A loose bind off is important here because it keeps the fabric stretchy and flexible.

Step 4: Assemble

Now it’s time to bring everything together. Thread your tapestry needle with the yarn tail from your cast on edge. Fold the knitted strip around the hair elastic, right side out, and use the tapestry needle to whipstitch or mattress stitch the long edges of the strip together around the elastic. Work your way along the full length of the strip, gathering it evenly as you go to create that beautiful ruffled look.

Once you’ve seamed the long edges, join the two short ends of the strip together to close the scrunchie. Weave in all your ends securely, and you’re done. Hold it up, slide it onto your wrist, and admire your work — you’ve just made your first knitted scrunchie.

Method 2: The Ribbed Velvet Scrunchie

This method is a step up in terms of luxury. Using velvet or chenille yarn transforms an ordinary scrunchie into something that feels genuinely indulgent, and the ribbing creates a beautiful, stretchy texture that shows off the yarn’s softness in the best possible way. If you’ve ever wanted to make a gift that looks like it came from a boutique rather than a craft basket, this is the method for you.

Materials for this method: Velvet or chenille yarn (approximately 15–20 grams), US size 9 straight needles (5.5mm), one hair elastic, scissors, and a tapestry needle.

Velvet yarn behaves a little differently from standard yarn. It’s softer and more slippery, which can make it trickier to work with at first, but the results are absolutely worth it. The main thing to know is that you should work at a slightly looser tension than usual and be patient — it’s normal for velvet yarn to feel a bit awkward until you get your rhythm.

Step 1: Cast On

Cast on 12 stitches. Because we’re working in ribbing, having an even number of stitches makes the pattern work out cleanly.

Step 2: Work in Ribbing

Work in 2×2 ribbing as follows: knit 2, purl 2, and repeat to the end of the row. On subsequent rows, continue this pattern, making sure to knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches as they appear. This creates that classic stretchy ribbed texture that’s perfect for a scrunchie.

Continue until your strip measures approximately 12 to 14 inches, or until it’s long enough to gather around the elastic with plenty of ruffling. Because velvet yarn has more body than standard yarn, you may find that a slightly longer strip looks best — don’t be afraid to go up to 16 inches for a particularly lush, voluminous result.

Step 3: Bind Off in Pattern

Bind off in ribbing pattern, which means you knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches as you bind off. This keeps the edge stretchy and neat, and it gives the finished scrunchie a professional, polished look.

Step 4: Assemble

The assembly process is the same as Method 1. Thread your tapestry needle with a matching length of yarn and seam the long edges of your strip around the hair elastic, gathering evenly as you go. Join the two short ends, weave in your tails thoroughly (velvet yarn can be prone to ends slipping out, so weave them in multiple directions), and you’re finished.

The result is a scrunchie that looks and feels absolutely luxurious. Try making a set in coordinating colors — they’re beautiful in gift sets of three or four.

Method 3: The Seamless Knit-in-the-Round Scrunchie

This is the most elegant method from a technical standpoint, because it produces a completely seamless scrunchie with no seaming required. Working in the round takes a little more setup, but once you’re comfortable with DPNs or a short circular needle, this method is surprisingly quick and deeply satisfying.

Materials for this method: DK or worsted weight yarn (approximately 10–15 grams), a set of US size 7 double-pointed needles (4.5mm) or a 9-inch circular needle, one hair elastic, stitch marker, scissors, and a tapestry needle.

Step 1: Cast On and Join

Before you begin knitting, slip the hair elastic onto your needles so that it’s encircled by your working yarn from the very beginning. This is the clever trick that makes the seamless method work — you’ll be knitting around the elastic as you go, so no assembly is needed at the end.

Cast on 60 stitches over three or four DPNs (15 or 20 stitches per needle), placing them so that the hair elastic sits inside the circle of needles. Place a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round, and join your stitches to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

If 60 stitches feels like too many to start, you can begin with 48 stitches (12 per needle if using four DPNs) for a slightly less gathered scrunchie.

Step 2: Knit Around the Elastic

Here’s where the magic happens. As you knit each stitch, position the hair elastic so that it sits below the needles, inside the tube of knitting you’re creating. Every few stitches, give the elastic a gentle tug to make sure it’s being enclosed by the knitting and not riding up outside the tube.

Work in stockinette stitch (knit every round) until the tube of knitting is long enough to fully cover the elastic, gathering around it. This usually takes about 10 to 14 rounds, depending on your yarn weight and the size of your elastic.

For a more textured look, you can work in garter stitch in the round, which means alternating one knit round and one purl round. Or try a simple lace pattern — two knit, two yarn over, two knit two together — for a delicate, airy effect.

Step 3: Bind Off and Finish

When the elastic is fully enclosed and the tube of knitting is the right length, bind off loosely. The two ends of your tube will simply need to be joined together — slip the live end of the bound-off edge inside the cast on edge and use your tapestry needle to join them invisibly. Because you’ve been working in the round, there are no long seams to close, and the finished scrunchie has a beautifully clean, professional look.

Weave in your two ends securely, and you’re done. This scrunchie will have a slightly different look than the flat-knit versions — it’s rounder and more tube-like, with a natural gather that comes from the enclosed elastic.

Tips for Perfect Knitted Scrunchies Every Time

Now that you know all three methods, here are a few universal tips that will help every scrunchie you make turn out beautifully.

Gauge matters less here than in other projects. Because scrunchies are so stretchy and adaptable, you don’t need to be as precise about gauge as you would be for a sweater or a sock. That said, try to maintain a consistent tension throughout your work — uneven tension creates visible bumps in the fabric that can detract from the finished look.

Experiment with yarn weight for different effects. Bulky yarn creates big, cozy scrunchies with a lot of visual impact. Fingering weight creates something dainty and delicate. The same pattern knitted in two different yarn weights produces two completely different scrunchies, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Block your finished scrunchie. A quick soak in cool water followed by gently squeezing out the excess moisture and reshaping the scrunchie before it dries can make a noticeable difference in the final look. This is especially helpful for cotton or linen yarn, which tends to look stiff and uneven until it’s been blocked.

Use long-lasting elastics. Not all hair elastics are created equal. Look for ones labeled as “no snag” or “seamless,” as these tend to last longer and are gentler on the knitted fabric around them.

Don’t skip weaving in your ends. This is the step that separates a scrunchie that will last years from one that falls apart after a few uses. Take the time to weave each end in thoroughly, working in multiple directions to secure it.

Creative Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the three core methods, the creative possibilities are genuinely endless. Here are a few variations to inspire your next project.

Striped scrunchies are a wonderful way to use up tiny amounts of multiple colors. Simply carry two yarns together or change colors every few rows for a fun, playful look. Gradient scrunchies, knitted using a self-striping or color-changing yarn, produce stunning results with almost no extra effort on your part.

Oversized scrunchies made with super bulky yarn and a large elastic are a bold, fashionable choice that have become incredibly popular in recent years. Try using a velvet super bulky yarn for maximum impact.

Mini scrunchies knitted in fingering weight on small needles are sweet little accessories that work beautifully on thin ponytails or as bracelets. They make lovely additions to gift baskets or party favor bags.

Embellished scrunchies can be personalized with a few simple additions. Try sewing a small button or bead onto the finished scrunchie, or adding a single crochet edging in a contrasting color for a polished, couture look.

The Joy of Sharing What You Make

One of the most wonderful things about knitting scrunchies is how naturally they lend themselves to sharing. When you can make one in under two hours, it becomes easy to build up a little collection of handmade gifts ready for any occasion. Package a set of three in complementary colors into a small gift bag with a handwritten note for a birthday present that feels genuinely thoughtful and personal.

Consider teaching someone else these three methods. Knitting is a skill that’s passed from person to person, and scrunchies are such a perfect beginner project that they make an ideal introduction for anyone who’s been curious about learning. There’s something beautiful about sitting down with a friend or family member and helping them create something with their own hands for the very first time.

The knitting community is also wonderfully active online. Sharing photos of your finished scrunchies on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest or in knitting groups on Reddit and Ravelry is a lovely way to connect with other makers and find even more inspiration for future projects.

Final Thoughts

Learning to knit scrunchies three ways is more than just adding a few patterns to your repertoire — it’s an invitation to explore texture, color, technique, and the sheer pleasure of making something beautiful with your hands. The flat knit method teaches you the fundamentals of knitting a strip and seaming it. The ribbed velvet method introduces you to the magic of luxury yarns and textured stitch patterns. The seamless in-the-round method opens the door to circular kn