Crochet tool
Crochet headband and ear warmer size chart
How long do I make a headband or an ear warmer?
woman · Head circumference on hat charts
21 to 23 in (53 to 58 cm)
Band length before it stretches: 19 to 22 in (48 to 56 cm)
“Our suggestion” marks advice that is this site’s own, not a figure from a published chart.
Head circumference and band length for headbands and ear warmers
| Headband for | Head circumference on hat charts | Band length before it stretches |
|---|---|---|
| newborn | 13 to 14.5 in (33 to 37 cm) | 11 to 13.5 in (28 to 34 cm) |
| 3 to 6 months | 14 to 17 in (36 to 43 cm) | 12 to 16 in (30 to 41 cm) |
| 6 to 12 months | 16 to 19 in (41 to 48 cm) | 14 to 18 in (36 to 46 cm) |
| 1 to 2 years | 17 to 20 in (43 to 51 cm) | 15 to 19 in (38 to 48 cm) |
| toddler | 18 to 20 in (46 to 51 cm) | 16 to 19 in (41 to 48 cm) |
| child | 17.5 to 20.5 in (44 to 52 cm) | 15.5 to 19.5 in (39 to 50 cm) |
| teen | 20 to 22 in (51 to 56 cm) | 18 to 21 in (46 to 53 cm) |
| woman | 21 to 23 in (53 to 58 cm) | 19 to 22 in (48 to 56 cm) |
| man | 22 to 24 in (56 to 61 cm) | 20 to 23 in (51 to 58 cm) |
- Measure the head if you can. Heads of one age differ by inches, and a band made to a measured head fits better than one made to an age.
- The head sizes are the rows of our hat size chart: what hat size charts say, from the smallest to the largest figure they give.
- The band length is worked out from the head size: 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) less than the head. It is the distance around the finished band, measured before the band is stretched.
- Centimeters are worked out from the inches and rounded to a whole centimeter.
How it works
- Make the band shorter than the head is round. Crochet fabric stretches, so a headband or ear warmer is made 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) less around than the head and stretches to fit.
- An ear warmer for a child or an adult is about 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
- Work from the head you are making for when you can: measure around it, then take the band length from that number and not from an age.
Worked examples
- How long should a headband be for an adult?
- For a woman, hat charts give a head of 21 to 23 inches (53 to 58 cm), so the band is 19 to 22 inches (48 to 56 cm) long. For a man, the head is 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) and the band 20 to 23 inches (51 to 58 cm).
- How long do I make a headband for a 22 inch head?
- 20 to 21 inches (51 to 53 cm): 1 to 2 inches less than the head, because the band stretches.
- How wide should an ear warmer be?
- About 4 inches (10 cm) for a child or an adult.
Questions
- Why is the band shorter than the head?
- Because crochet fabric stretches. A band made 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) shorter than the head stretches to fit it.
- How do I make a headband longer or shorter?
- It depends on which way the band is worked. In a band worked along its length, add or take away starting chains. In a band worked back and forth across its width, work more rows or fewer, until it is long enough.
- Where do these head sizes come from?
- They are the rows of our hat size chart, which also has a size for a preemie and heads as measured for babies and toddlers. Our suggestion