The fabrics come from an Italian mills’ sample booklet that otherwise would have been landfilled. The scrunchies combine two single pieces of differing fibres and structures. 

Each fabric piece was first mordanted with alum lactate (cellulose fibres) or aluminium potassium sulphate (protein fibres) to help the natural colours bind to the fibres. Each was then individually dyed with a curated selection of plants and pigments to achieve the colour and pattern using the bundle dye method. These colours will naturally fade over time, due to sunlight and washing, even with mordant solution applied.

The dyestuffs are a combination of imported powdered pigments from George Weil and foraged dried local flowers.

The beads were sourced many years ago from reclaimed and new sources. They are a combination of glass, semi-precious, pearl and plastic. They were stitched using a reclaimed polyester thread. 

The branded tape is an undyed organic cotton woven tape from Organic Textile Company stamped with heat-sealed VersaCraft™ water-based pigment ink.

The internal elastic is an organic cotton and natural rubber tape originally manufactured by Charle Berlin.

If you were to take this product apart, however, the components could be separated and most re-used i.e. elastic, fabric, beads.

I make a point to utilise materials that would otherwise be wasted.

Though awareness that both natural and synthetic fibres are included in some of the fabric samples, it is tricky to know fully the true composition due to these being swatches. While I would normally create items that are either a fully biological cycle or a fully technical cycle (read about design-for-diassembly / cradle to cradle), in this instance there isn’t enough transparency. Therefore, the decision was made to use polyester thread instead of organic cotton for its tensile strength, creating a longer-lasting product, and utilising any selection of beads (not just plastic or not just glass).

Though materials and making techniques have been employed to ensure as long a lasting product as possible (including internal French seams), this is an item that will be handled fairly heavily. Please note that over time the thread is likely to snap and beads will come loose. For this reason you are welcome to reach out for repair or a spare pack of beads to repair it yourself. It’s unlikely you’ll wash this accessory so the dyes should remain for some time, however, sunlight can cause degradation. Know that you are purchasing a handmade item.

I would absolutely recommend not washing this at all due to both the delicate nature of the beading and the natural colour. If you would like to refresh the item (because it’s been wrapped around your hair), I suggest an odour-releasing spritz such as homemade peppermint, or something equally as non-toxic.

If you do need to wash due to stains, and spot-cleaning doesn’t work, please hand wash in a light detergent (soap nuts are great) in lukewarm water. Try not to agitate or wring as this can break the threads holding beading on, rather just let it sit and dirt should release. Dry flat close to a heat source. Do not put in a washing machine or tumble dryer, even in a bag, as this could damage the delicate beading, particularly if glass beads or stones are used. This method is also less likely to remove some of the natural dyes. 

The item will be shipped wrapped in recycled tissue paper and re-used bubble wrap or corrugated paper (depending on what’s available) and shipped in a slim cardboard box, depending on if you purchase additional items.

→ Fabric scraps - £0.00, acquired by donation

→ Plant materials - powdered pigments purchased from George Weil, likely 1g £0.08 / others essentially free but require foraging/processing/drying time

→ Mordant - hard to quantify but around £0.03

→ Energy/water - used for mordanting/steaming/rinsing/drying, hard to quantify

→ Elastic - £0.48

→ Cotton tape - £0.03 (ink negligible)

→ Beads - around 30g, historic price £1.00

→ Labour - overall approximately 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes) x LLW @ £13.85/h

• Bundle dyeing: approximately 8 minutes

• Making time: approximately 30 minutes

• Beading time: average 110 minutes

• Finishing: approximately 2 minutes

→ Packaging - £0.20

Total: £1.82 (materials) + £34.63 (labour) x 2 = £72.90

Obviously it is cost prohibitive to the buyer to charge a cost of £36.45 + true retail markup, but this is the realistic value attributed to a hand-finished item made from a non-wholesale stock. To ensure a small profit for me, an embedding of value to handmaking, ability to sell the item, and covering of overheads (website, energy, studio), I have settled on a markup of x 2 i.e. double the cost price.

Royal Mail Tracked 24 or 48 are available services for UK customers. Unfortunately due to international selling restrictions for small businesses from the UK, international sales are not possible.

Returns are discretionary.