the DIY: NO FRAY EMI-JAY INSPIRED HAIR TIES

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For as long as I can remember, Casey has wanted to try these Emi-Jay hair ties. Mostly because she heard they didn't leave a crease in your hair and she has a big "crease left in your hair" problem. Since they seem a little over-priced (5 for $12), she never bought them. I personally prefer the look of a plain hair tie in my hair but, I can respect the idea behind them. Anyways, I saw this tutorial online. The girl who did the tutorial first saw it done here. So I sought out fold over elastic (what the crap was this stuff used for before these hair ties?) and purchased it in all colors and sizes (on accident... I only wanted the RIGHT size). So I made a bunch of these and even figured out a way to keep them from fraying! Read on to see how you do it!
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All you will need is:
-Some fold over elastic in the 5/8" size. You can buy some here or here.
-A ruler
-Scissors
- A lighter
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Cut your elastic to about 8.25 inches. If you have hair a little thicker you may want to add another half inch.
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Fold the elastic in half.
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Grab the two ends and tie a knot. It will look like this at first.
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Then you will tighten the knot. Make sure you pull the knot towards the two ends.
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Cut the two ends together in a slant.
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Take a lighter and barely run the flame across the edge. I did this twice to make sure I burned the edge and sealed it. You can also blow on the elastic as soon as you run the flame across it to make sure it doesn't keep burning.
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And you are done! Now you have your own really cheap hair ties that won't fray at the end! 
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So I probably won't wear these on my arms but they are cuter than wearing a regular hair tie on your arm. I really like what these hair ties look like at the end of a side braid!
P.S. Don't feel like making these on your own? We've done the work for you in our Etsy Shop

23 comments

  1. Fold over elastic is used to finish edges on things like underwear, or camis. I bet the camis you might have in your closet from forever 21 or the like are finished with FOE!! Very useful for sewists! Awesome tutorial!

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  2. this is an awesome idea. I'm going to commission one of my friends to make these for me, haha.

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  3. I seriously have like 4 massive rolls of this stuff from headbands I used to make. I can have hairbands for life! Thanks for the quick tip :)

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  4. Do they really not leave a crease in your hair? I have to put my hair in a ponytail for work, and by the end of the day, there's practically a 90 degree angle in my hair where the elastic was. Not fun. And these are pretty to boot!

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    1. Yeah i have some of them, they leave no crease! its awesome!

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  5. This is such a great idea! I am always on the lookout for new tips on hair accessoires and this one is just great!

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    x Lana

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  6. Beautiful tutorial! Thanks for linking back to me :)

    Where did you find the lace elastic? I LOVE IT!!!

    xo
    pre

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  7. Beautiful tutorial . I love it ! :) I think that you can buy it too in Claire's.

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  8. FOE is used for diapers as well as the things mentioned above. And it can be used as a waistband on very simple skirts. This is very simple and very clever.

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  9. Love creating my own hair ties instead of buying them! Great tutorial! Follow my blog at lucyandmejewelry.blogspot.com

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  10. I love these, I found ones at http://www.mykitsch.com -- they have really cool prints and glitters that are harder for me to find!

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  11. They look gorgeous! I know someone from catering suffolk who loves stuff like this, if she sees this she’ll thank me!

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  12. I do have a question about the glitter foe. Do you find that you have to cut it a little longer? Mine seem to not stretch as well as the regular. Thanks so much for the tutorial :)

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  13. where do you buy ur foldover elastic? please reply

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    1. There are links in the tutorial that take you to where we buy our elastic.

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  14. Thanks so much for this tutorial! I started making these hair ties and put them on my etsy! http://www.etsy.com/shop/BraceletsByMeri

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  15. I wondered what this elastic is used for (other than hair ties) too. It is used to make lingerie. I don't know what kind of a person makes their own lingerie, but that is what it is for.

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  16. Great tutorial! Found these foldover elastic by the roll at: http://www.ctsusa.com/_e/dept/02-004/Fold_Over_Elastics.htm and used them for my kid's school fundraising.

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  17. where do you get the little card board gift tag personalized?

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  18. How many inches is suggested for a adult & youth/tween headband?

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  19. Hi, would you be able to give me a breakdown on price & how many you were able to make? Looking to make these for shower gifts

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