Accessory artists

Zion Beiswanger was helping her mother, Chantel Beiswanger, clean out her closet when she came across an old scrunchie.

It was one that her mother used to wear. 

“When I asked her about it, she was like, ‘That was a trend when I was a kid,’” Beiswanger said.

A few months later, Beiswanger said she noticed her classmates wearing scrunchies around East Jay Middle School, so she decided to wear hers, too.

After watching YouTube videos of others making their own scrunchies, Beiswanger began to make some for herself and shared them with her friends.

“My friends said, ‘Oh, that’s really cool! You should make more and sell them,’” Beiswanger said, “So, I made a page on Instagram.”

Now, 14-year-old Beiswanger runs her own scrunchie business — @scrunchies_by_zion on Instagram.

She’s part of a growing trend of teen- and college-aged girls who have turned their hairstyling hobby into a business. Just search “scrunchies” on Instagram and you’ll find them, including Mallory Bost, Kristy Robbins and others along with Beiswanger.

“I didn’t really expect to sell a lot,” Beiswanger said. “I just wanted to do something that I thought was fun.”

Beiswanger said she started her online scrunchie business on Instagram around six months ago. Her account — @scrunchies_by_zion — currently has 75 followers.

“I just kind of started and thought that if people wanted to buy, then cool,” Beiswanger said.

Mallory Bost, a 20-year-old student at Indiana University East in Richmond, started her scrunchie business — @scrunchiesbymal on Instagram — in July as a way to bring confidence to others.

“I want to help other women feel pretty and beautiful when they wear my scrunchies,” Bost said. “Scrunchies make me really happy and I just hope they make other women happy.”

Bost said that she began making her own scrunchies a couple of years ago so that she could use fabrics with patterns that she liked.

She decided earlier this year to turn making scrunchies into a business as a way to save for her student teaching in Ireland next year, she said.

“I am doing a cultural immersion experience so that I can be a better teacher,” Bost said. “I hope that my sales accomplish the financial goal of going on that trip.”

Kristy Robbins, a 17-year-old student at Jay County High School, started her scrunchie business — @scrunchies.bykristy on Instagram — for a similar reason.

“I am going to Amber’s Beauty School starting in June, and I was just trying to raise money for schooling,” Robbins said. “What better way to raise money for beauty school than with hair products?”

Robbins said she had the idea of starting her business after buying a pack of scrunchies early last summer.

“I went to the store and got some scrunchies and I was like,  ‘Oh, I could totally make these,’” Robbins said.

Beiswanger, Bost and Robbins all have similar scrunchie-making processes.

Beiswanger said she begins her scrunchie-making process after a customer requests a specific  fabric, and then she starts to sew.

“I get a normal hair tie and wrap the fabric around the hair tie,” Beiswanger said. “Then I sew it inside out, flip it back the right way and sew the two ends together.”

To make a normal scrunchie, it takes Beiswanger less than 10 minutes using a sewing machine.

Beiswanger said she uses old T-shirts that don’t fit anymore as another source of fabric for her scrunchies.

“If people have old T-shirts, I can take those, repurpose them and make them into scrunchies,” she said.

Bost follows a similar process, except instead of hair ties, she said she uses elastic. 

“I use a little tool to weave a piece of elastic through the sheath of fabric that I have made,” Bost said. “Then I hand sew the elastic shut and make the two ends of the fabric meet.”

Bost said that she usually chooses her fabrics herself, typically deciding to use fabrics for the season.

“During the summer and fall time I had sunflower scrunchies,” Bost said. “I just had a craft show that had Christmas scrunchies.”

Like Bost, Robbins said she switches back and forth between a sewing machine and hand sewing.

She learned how both at a young age after being taught by her grandmother, she said.

“She taught me about the different presser feet you can use and about the different needles and threads,” Robbins said.

Now, Robbins considers sewing one of her outlets.

“I really like sewing,” Robbins said. “It’s like a happy place for me.”

Robbins focuses on making scrunchies that she believes go well with everyday outfits, she said, but her scrunchies depend on her audience.

“I usually make bright and furry scrunchies to sell at the dance studio because it appeals to the little kids,” Robbins said. “I also make neutral scrunchies to sell to teenagers and adults.”

Beiswanger, Bost and Robbins all have favorite scrunchies that they have made as well. 

“I like the T-shirt ones the best because they are the most comfortable,” Beiswanger said.

Bost’s favorite scrunchies are the ones that reflect the season.

“I have a lot of Christmas ones right now that are so cute,” she said.

For Robbins, she enjoys silk.

“My favorite print that I wear is a sheer silk navy and white floral print scrunchie,” Robbins said.