Head Circumference Chart

Below is a head circumference chart to use in reference with making a headband.  The left side of the table is a baby's age in months.  The right side of the table is the average head circumference in centimeters for the adjacent age.  You want the headband to be a little snug.  So measure your headband to be a little smaller than the head circumference.

  1. What exactly is "a little smaller" when making a headband either for a baby or an adult.  If I use a 6mm piece of stretch "velvet" elastic to make a headband for a baby, how much smaller should the headband be?  It seems like if I made a similar headband with stretch lace, there might be a need for more ease than in using elastics.  If I made a headband for an adult, for example, in a five-inch wide stretch elastic, it seems the lace should be cut almost the same size as the head.  With tightly woven elastics like a 6-12 mm "velvet" elastic, how "loose" can it be without falling off or causing a headache?  Is there any correlation between the width of the elastic or stretch lace and the final size a headband should be?  Thank you.

    • Hi Patricia – I think it depends on how tight you like your headbands. And it definitely depends on how stretchy the material is you are working with. I would say a ‘little’ is a couple centimeters for basic elastic. Stretchy lace might be different.

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