How to Wrap a Turban

Last Updated: January 10, 2023

There are many reasons why someone might want to make a turban. You might be in a performance and are using it as a prop or you might want to make a statement. There are also many ways to tie a turban, a number of styles of varying complexity and look.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wrapping a Half Turban

1
Select your material. It should be about 1.5m by 0.75m. A large, lightweight scarf works best. The bigger the material you use, the larger the turban will be, so choose accordingly. Also, thinner materials will be easier to handle.
2
Make a knot over your forehead. First, fold your scarf until it's about two to three inches thick. Center it at the nape of your neck. Pull the ends toward your temples. Cross the ends over each other on your forehead and make a knot.^{[1]
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- Make sure the fabric only goes around the sides of your head, and doesn't cover the top of your head. This is the primary difference, appearance-wise, between a half and a full turban.
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3
Make a knot at the nape of your neck. Pull the ends tight and wrap them around the sides of your head to where the fabric is in the back. Tie a knot at the nape of your neck. If there is too much excess fabric, you can tuck it underneath the knot where it starts to wrap around the sides of your head.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Wrapping a Full Turban

1
Select your material. Anything from about 1.5m by 0.75m to 1.5 by 1.5 will work. A large, lightweight scarf works best. The bigger the material you use, the larger the turban will be, so choose accordingly. Also, thinner materials will be easier to handle.
2
Fold your scarf and place it on your head. If your scarf is square, fold it into a triangle shape. If it is rectangular, fold it in half, length-wise. Place the scarf on your head so that the center is lined up with the nape of your neck. If you've folded your scarf into a triangle, the point should lie over your face.^{[3]
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3
Make a fold across your forehead. Take the ends of the scarf and pull them tight across your temples. Cross the two ends over one another over your forehead. Make it tight enough to stay in place but not too tight to be comfortable.
4
Finish with a knot in the back. Pull the scarf ends back around to the nape of your neck. Tie a tight knot. If you started with a rectangular shape, either tuck the excess fabric under the knot, or around the sides and into the front fold, depending on how much fabric is left. If you started with a triangle shape, tuck the excess fabric under the back of the turban, and tuck the point in the front backwards into the front fold.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Wrapping a Twisty Turban

1
Select your material. It should be much longer than it is thick. A large, lightweight scarf works best. The bigger the material you use, the larger the turban will be, so choose accordingly. Also, thinner materials will be easier to handle.
2
Make a knot at the back of your head. Start with the front of the scarf centered over your forehead. Lie the fabric over your whole head and pull the two ends to the nape of your neck. Tie a knot there.
- Like the full turban, this wrap will cover your whole head, and only has one knot.
3
Make another wrap and finish the turban. Bring the two ends toward the front and criss cross them around the top of your head. Take the ends and bring them back to the knot at the nape of your neck. Fold the excess fabric underneath the back section of the turban.