Hello, my name is Molly, and I have never sewn before.

That’s right, I work at a fabric company (Mood, if you didn’t know), and I have no clue how to sew.

But, with a little help from our DIY blogger Courtney Norris, I assembled this cool, spiked headband, and I’m here to show you that you can too.

Fabrics & Materials:

• 9 0.625″ Rose Gold Nickel Spike Studs
• Several inches of Lastin Stretch Stay Tape – 0.25″
• Mahogany Lamb Leather (I had some extra pieces of this, but you can use any thick fabric that can be pierced with an awl, I recommend one of Mood’s leathers or faux leathers)
• Special Tools
  • Mood Sewing Machine
  • Seam Ripper
  • Awl

First things first, there are several items to measure. I started with my head, measuring the circumference of where the headband would be (22″) and the area that I wanted the spikes (about 12″).

If you’re having issues keeping the fabric in its place, I recommend wonder clips (those red clippies in the picture above), not pins. Leather can’t knit back together, so once you puncture it, that hole is there to stay.

Cut about 2″ of elastic, and insert it into the ends of the strip, making it a circle. Top stitch each side several times, making sure the elastic is secure.

After this, lay out the leather and measure out the area you want the spikes. As I said, I wanted them spanning a 12″ space, so I measured out one every 1.33 inches between those 12 inches. Mark each space with a fabric marker.

Use the awl to pierce through the layers of leather. While the awl is still inserted in the leather, use the seam ripper to make the hole a little bigger, breaking the fibers inside of the fabric.

Once the hole is big enough, put the screw into the hole, and twist the spike onto it. Repeat this with the rest of the spikes, making sure they’re all facing the same way, or else you’re screwed (I mean, you’d have to be an idiot to screw them on wrong).

And voila! You’ve got an easy and edgy new headband.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. That sounded relatively simple for someone with no working knowledge on how to sew.

And you’re right, which is why I’ve included this detailed list of how many times it actually took me to put this piece together.

• So, the first thing I really did after measuring my big head was measure out a piece of fabric that was 1.5″. I sewed it with the wrong side on the outside, and intended to reverse it. It turns out, that is easier thought than done, because after half an hour of fighting with the piece of leather, I gave up.
• Then, I decided that two pieces of fabric is better than one, so I cut two 2″ pieces, sewed them together with the wrong side facing out, and reversed them with ease! But, as I stared at the thick strip, I realized that 2″ was far too big for a head band.
• So I used a seam ripper to tear apart the strips (which is more tedious than you think), and decided on the method that finally worked. I tucked the ends in and folded the strips in half.
• While inserting the elastic, I neatly tucked one side into the strip, making sure the wrong side of the fabric did not show at all. On the other side, well… to be honest I just forgot to tuck the leather into itself.
• And finally, after all these mistakes I made another one. Remember how you’d have to be an idiot to screw a spike or two on wrong? I know that because I’m that idiot. Yeah, I screwed several of my spikes on upside down and then had to fix it. Thankfully, they’re relatively easy to screw and unscrew, so the project wasn’t ruined and I could reuse the spikes.

You may be thinking “Why would this girl tell me any of this, I’ve completely lost faith in her ability to sew or make competent DIY posts.”

I’ll tell you why: because no one is perfect, and everyone has to start somewhere. I started here, at Mood, and so can you. I made mistakes, and so will you. That’s okay, because now I have this really cool headband, and when people say “Wow, I love your headband!” I can respond “Yeah, I know, I made it.”

I wonder what kind of mess I’ll make next time.