Stay modest and fabulous by upcycling new hijabs.
In our society, being fashionable is a moving target. One day your clothes are in style, and the next they’re out. It can be exhausting to stay on top of the constantly shifting trends, not to mention expensive! One way to cut costs and still remain modest and fabulous is to upcycle your older clothes into new hijabs. Hijabs are easy to make, and a ’new’ upcycled hijab can make you feel like you are on top of the latest trends without having to sacrifice your spending money or buy even more materials.
What you need:
- Sewing machine, or sewing kit
- Fabric scissors
- Tape measure
- Headscarf that you wear now
- Pencil or washable marker
- An old piece of clothing
- Pins (optional but recommended)
How to craft your hijab:
- Lay the headscarf flat on the floor
- Take note of its size with a measuring tape
- Lay the piece of clothing out flat on the floor
- Using the measuring tape, mark out a square that is about an inch or two larger than the measurements you took earlier. If the piece of clothing is too small, consider taking apart some of the seams to make it larger
- Cut out the square, making sure to cut on the inside of the marks you made while measuring
- Before you hem the fabric, turn the edges twice to create a 1cm-fold so the raw edge of the fabric is tucked in and can’t be seen. Pin the edges with sewing pins placed about 5cm or 7cm apart
- Sew as straight a seam as you can on the inner edge of the fold. Tip: it is easier to do steps 6 & 7 one side at a time, pinning and sewing one side completely before moving on to the next one
- Cut off any loose threads and iron if necessary
Ta-daa! Your brand-new hijab is ready to be worn!
Upcycled crafts and especially upcycled hijabs have become a very popular trend in the past few years. Many women are sewing strips of fabric from old clothes together to make strip hijabs, or patches from old blankets and patterned fabrics to make patch hijabs. Another trend of late is the hijab party. Women will get together and enjoy a meal and each other’s company. At the end of the meal, the women will exchange handmade, upcycled hijabs. Upcycling your old clothes can be a fun way to save money while keeping yourself modest and fabulous!
Have you ever upcycled your own hijabs or hosted a hijab party? Share your stories and pictures with us via [email protected]!