The Scrunchie Is Back, and This Time It's Crocheted

The scrunchie has a surprisingly specific origin story. In the 1980s, a nightclub singer named Rommy Revson wanted a hair tie that wouldn't snag and damage her hair. She sewed fabric around an elastic band, patented the idea, and named it after her dog, Scrunchie. By the early '90s scrunchies were everywhere, from shopping malls to sitcoms. Then they vanished, and then, of course, they came roaring back.

Why crochet makes a better scrunchie

A crocheted scrunchie wraps the elastic in soft loops of yarn, which spreads out the grip. That means less tugging and creasing than a bare elastic, so it's a gentler choice for long or thick hair. It also has a texture fabric can't match, and that texture looks great on a wrist when your hair is down.

Each one is crocheted by hand by Cat, our family's crochet artist.

Find your yarn

• Mint green, in Soft Baby Bee yarn: plush, ultra-soft and soothing
• Classic ivory: goes with everything
• Chunky yarn scrunchies: big, cozy and bold, in purple, tan and ivory variegated, or teal, rust, tan and ivory
• Earthy teal, rust and brown variegated: the color of a Michigan October
• Earthy-tone sets for the neutral-wardrobe crowd

The fall headband set

For a matching look, our three-piece set includes a thin headband, a bandana-style headband and a matching scrunchie, all crocheted in rust with yellow and green accents. It makes an instant outfit for apple-orchard trips, football Saturdays and every day in between.

Little gifts, big smiles

Scrunchies make perfect add-ons to a bigger gift, stocking stuffers, teacher thank-yous and bridesmaid treats. Tie one around a gift bag instead of a ribbon, and the wrapping becomes part of the present.

See all our handmade yarn work in the crochet guide, and more gift ideas in gifts for her.