DIY: 100% Satin Hair Bonnet

Hello Beautiful!

Today I bring you a tutorial for something every woman should have in her hair stash. A satin bonnet!! Now, I'm not talking about one of those $2.99 bonnets you get from Walmart or your local beauty supply store. No judgement if that's your preference but have you ever really felt the fabric on those? Many times the outside is soft and silky and the inside........well, not so much. For many of us, especially those with natural hair, we struggle with keeping our hair soft and moisturized. Who wants to spend $10-$20 on hair products only to have it soaked into your bonnet or your pillowcase and not in your hair?? Not I!

I recently lost misplaced my satin bonnet that I've had for years and I figured this was the perfect time to whip out my sewing machine and make my own. *Disclaimer: I am by no means a professional sewer, not even an amateur, so if I can get this done anyone can.* So I went to Joanns and picked out some fabric, which wasn't a very big selection at all. If you choose to tackle this project, make sure you look at the label on the fabric spool and it says charmeuse satin.

Materials:
Charmeuse satin fabric (1 yard)
Scissors
Measuring tape
Disappearing fabric ink
Pins
1" elastic
Sewing machine or needle and matching thread


First things first, please wash the fabric before you start cutting or sewing, this will prevent your project from being damaged in the washing machine later if it shrinks.

For my bonnet, I wanted to have a pattern fabric on one side and a solid fabric on the other and I wanted it to be reversible. Using two different fabrics is a personal preference and if you want to do this you only need a 1/2 yard of each fabric. Most bonnets are between 12-15 inches, so it is your choice how big you want your bonnet to be. If you have a lot of hair or wear a lot of braids, twists or protective styles I would recommend 13-14 inches. Although my hair is still growing out I went ahead and went with 13 inches so it would be large enough as my hair continues to grow. Okay, let's get started.....

1. Fold and cut your fabric
Begin by folding your fabric in half and then fold it again at the fold so that your fabric is now a rectangle shape. At the lower left corner you should have all fabric and your edges should be at the top and on the right side. I then used my tape measure to measure 13" all around the fabric using that lower left corner as my guide. Then point of this step is to make it easier to cut a circle. If you think you can freehand a circle, by all means skip this step.

I used my disappearing fabric marker to mark 13 inches from left to right, using the corner above as my guide and moving down. *Note if you use disappearing fabric ink, make sure to complete your project within 24 hours or all of your markings will disappear and you will have to remeasure.*

Next I cut along this line with my fabric scissors and once opened it created my circle. I completed the same steps above for my blue fabric and here are my circles,

2. Pinning
Next you want to place your fabric together with the right sides facing each other.

Although I cut these the exact same way, they were not a perfect match so I just matched the best I could. After I matched them, I starting pinning the fabrics together to keep them in place.

3. Make your Marks
Now it's time to make your marks to sew the two pieces of fabric together. As you can see in the picture above, I started my marks 1" from the edge and did this around the entire circle. I left about a one inch gap, which I marked with dots, so I would know to stop sewing there so I would be able to turn my fabric inside out once completed.

4. Time to Sew
I have Brother Limited Edition Project Runway sewing machine I bought almost two years ago from Amazon. The reviews were great and it seemed easy enough for a beginner to I went for this one. I've used it for a few projects and I really like it! If you don't have a sewing machine you can totally hand stitch your fabrics together, it will just take a little longer.

I followed my 1" inch markings around the entire circle until I got to my stopping point.

Here is the gap that was left which allowed me to turn the fabric inside out. If you have a lof of excess fabric beyond your stitching, just cut that before you turn it inside out. Now, just stuff the fabric from the inside through the opening until your bonnet is on the right side.

Here are the two completed circles all sewn together now on the right side.

5. More Markings and Sewing
After your two fabrics are sewn together it's time to make more markings for the elastic. I made these markings 1.5" from the edge and again made these marks around the entire circle. I chose 1.5" because I used a 1" elastic but if your elastic is smaller you can make these markings smaller. I also placed pins at the gap so I would know my starting and stopping point when I got back to my machine.

After your markings are complete, head back to your machine (or needle and thread) and sew along those markings.

6. Thread your elastic
Now the casing for your elastic should be complete. Simply take the elastic or your tape measure and measure around your head to determine the length you need for your elastic. Next, place a safety pin on one end of the elastic so it's easier for you to thread it through the fabric. Use your opening to feed through the elastic and go all the way around until the two pieces of elastic meet again.

Now all you have to do is sew the two ends of elastic together. I used a zigzag stitch here just for further reinforcement.

Lastly all you need to do is sew up your opening to close the bonnet and viola, you are DONE!

This was an easy project and great for a beginner. From start to finish it took me probably a couple hours to complete (including reading my manual to figure out how to thread my machine again...oops lol). I've been using it a few weeks now and I can see a major improvement with the moisture in my hair. And remember you can always use a cotton fabric for the outside if you want more fabric options and just use the satin for the inside that will actually be in contact with your hair. I just wanted to have the option of it being reversible, so I went with satin on both sides, this is optional.

I hope this was helpful and please let me know if you try it! It takes a little time but they cost anywhere from $20-$40 when you buy them online so this will save you some $$$$$. Laters!

Tasha