Real cold requires fake fur

If you’re reading this and you’re in Melbourne, congratulations! You obviously survived the “Arctic blast” over the weekend. Were you holed up with a cup of hot Milo in a fortress of blankets, with DVD box sets at the ready and the heater on “high”? That was arguably the sensible plan, but several weeks ago a friend and I had scheduled a walk in the Dandenongs for Saturday, and no predictions of hail or blizzards were going to stop us!

Admittedly, we did spend most of the afternoon in a nice warm cafe before what was a far-too-brief wander through the R. J. Hamer Arboretum in Olinda (just up the road from here). Goodness knows why I so rarely make the trip up into the hills – with scenery like this literally only half an hour from home, you’d think I’d be there every weekend! We all rugged up – even our little canine companion had her japarra jacket on.

For me, it was an excuse to bring out my fur (fake, of course!) headband.

I made it many years ago when I was living in Tokyo and and had a label incorporating vintage kimono and new fabrics.

As you can see, it’s basically a slightly elliptical strip of fake fur attached to a longer elliptical strip of kimono fabric with tapered ends so it can be tied around the head.

My original idea was that it could be reversible, ie the kimono fabric could be worn facing out with the fur just showing around the edge, but I have to admit I’ve never worn it that way.

If you’ve ever sewn anything from fake fur you’ll be able to imagine the state of my little Tokyo apartment after stitching up a batch of these for several boutiques. I found fake fur in my muesli for years afterwards! But with the benefit of hindsight, what was a sewing nightmare could be adapted into an easy DIY project – even for those of you with no sewing machine.
As long as you have a scarf that can be tied around your head, all you need is some fake fur (a strip left over from another project is fine) and safety pins. Simply fold the scarf along the diagonal (or however you would fold it to wrap it around your head) and then attach the fake fur with safety pins, tucking the raw edges under as you go.

The pile of the fur will hide the safety pins, and if you want to use the scarf by itself you can just remove the fur. Why didn’t I think of that earlier!?

Let me know if you give this a try – there’s literally endless combinations depending on the type of fur and scarf that you use. You could even make a shoulder wrap if you have a wider, longer strip of fur and a stole or shawl that will stand up to safety pin holes. And if this Arctic blast persists, you’ll be wanting to pin fake fur to everything!