How to Tie a Rectangle Tichel

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 25, 2021 References

As an Orthodox Jewish person, your tichel or mitpachat is perhaps one of the most visible symbols of your faith. Many tichel styles are based on triangular scarves or square scarves folded into triangles, but there are some wonderful ways to wear rectangular tichels, too! Whether you want a loose style or one that’s close to your head, we’ve put together several ways for you to tie a rectangular tichel and display your faith.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Closely Tied to the Back

1
Tie your hair back. If you have long hair, pull it into a bun or low ponytail. Secure it with clips, a hair tie, or a hair cover.
2
Fold in the hem of the scarf. If you have a wide scarf, or you don’t want anyone to see the hem, fold the hem of the scarf inwards. It reduces the width of the scarf and hides the hem when you put it on.^{[1]
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3
Rest your scarf evenly on your head. Place the folded end of your scarf along your hairline, and drape it so that both sides are hanging about equally with each other.^{[2]
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4
Gather the fabric behind your head. Take both sides of your scarf and pull it back, as though you’re pulling it into a ponytail. The fabric should be gathered underneath your hair.^{[3]
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5
Knot the scarf behind your head. Tie both sides of the scarf together under your hair, where the back of your head meets your neck, so that the scarf wraps snugly around your head. Pull the ends of the scarf out to make sure they don’t get caught in the knot.^{[4]
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- Your tichel should be tight enough to not slip off easily, but not so tight that it gives you a headache.
6
Wrap and tie your tichel atop your hair. Once you’ve finished the first knot, take the ends of the scarf and “twirl” them loosely to give the fabric some volume. Cross them over the top of your head, pull one end of the scarf through the gap to create a knot, and lower the knot until it’s resting on top of your bun or ponytail. Then, pull the ends of the scarf to knot it snugly.^{[5]
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7
Tie your tichel at the back of your head again. Wrap the ends of your scarf around the “bump” of your hair, and tie them behind your head again where you tied the first knot.^{[6]
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8
Tuck the loose fabric into the sides of the knots. After double-knotting your tichel, you’ll have a bit of fabric still hanging out. If you have enough fabric left over to wrap it over your “bun,” then wrap it over, and tuck it into the fabric on the side (near the base of your head). Otherwise, you can just tuck it into the side without wrapping.^{[7]
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9
Make any adjustments as needed. Look at your tichel in the mirror, and make sure it looks how you’d like. Fix any oddities (like creasing or slippage) at the front or sides, if you need to. Afterwards, you should be good to go!

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Tied Upwards

1
Tie your hair upwards and secure it. If you want to wear an upwards- or turban-style tichel, pull your hair into a bun atop your head and hold it in place with a hair tie or cover. (A low bun or ponytail doesn’t allow for an upwards wrap.)
2
Fold the seam of the scarf inwards. Your scarf may be quite wide for a tichel, and you might not want the hem to be visible. If you fold the hem of your scarf inwards, it will make it “thinner”, which improves the fit and hides the stitches or edges.^{[8]
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3
Place your scarf evenly on your head. Take your scarf and set it on your head, lining up the fold with your hairline. The scarf should be “centered”, so that both sides are the same length as each other.^{[9]
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4
Cross the ends of your scarf at the back of your head. Grab the sides of your scarf separately, gather it where your head and neck meet, and cross the sides over each other like an X shape. Tug both sides tightly, so it fits smoothly and securely against your hair and scalp.^{[10]
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- Don’t tie a knot at the base of your head; right now, you’re just crossing the fabric.
- While you want the base to fit snugly, be careful not to pull it too tight, or you could cause pain.
5
Wind your scarf around the top of your head. While holding the fabric taut, wrap the sides of your scarf upwards so that they meet at the top of your head. Then, twist them together so the “twist” is centered on your head.^{[11]
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- The twist should be tight enough to sit securely on your head.
6
Tuck the fabric into the back of your tichel. At this point, let the fabric go slack. Wrap the fabric downwards, towards the back of your head. There should be some fabric wrapped around the base of your head where you wrapped the scarf upwards; slip the last of the fabric inside this part.^{[12]
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7
Make your tichel look larger. If you want your tichel to look taller or more ruffled, take the sides of the wrapped scarf between your fingers and lightly tug upward to give it a “puffy” appearance. Continue to do this around the sides and top of your tichel. Don’t yank, or you could undo all your hard work—just gently tug.^{[13]
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- If you don’t want a particularly tall or “fluffy” tichel, you can skip this. It’s a matter of preference.
8
Make any adjustments as needed. Check how your tichel looks in the mirror, fix any sections that might have slipped or folded oddly, and fluff it up if you want. Then, you should be done!

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Close Side Twist

1
Tie your hair back. Gather your hair into a low ponytail or bun, and keep it in place with clips, a hair tie, or a hair cover.
2
Fold your scarf’s hem inwards. Your rectangular scarf may be a bit too wide for your head, so folding it inwards at the hem will help it fit better, and hides the hem of the scarf.^{[14]
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3
Put your scarf evenly on your head. Place the folded hem of the scarf about equal with your hairline, and make sure both sides of the scarf are about the same length.^{[15]
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4
Gather the scarf to the side. Take both sides of your scarf, and pull them back behind your head so they meet underneath your hair. Then, bring the fabric forward so it’s resting in front of your shoulder, a bit like a side ponytail.^{[16]
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- You won’t be tying your scarf in place with this method, so make sure that you hold the scarf close to your head—this will keep your tichel from being too loose.
5
“Spin” the fabric together. Use both hands to start loosely twisting both sides of the scarf together, working your way down as you go. Continue to twirl the full length of the fabric until all of it is wrapped around itself.^{[17]
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6
Wind your scarf at the side of your head. Once you’ve wrapped most of your scarf, lift it and hold it close to the lower side of your head. Use one hand to hold the section of scarf in place, and begin winding it around itself in a circular motion.^{[18]
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7
Slip the end of your tichel into the twist. After you’ve wrapped up most of the fabric, use your fingers to gently slide the end of your scarf into the fabric of the “bun” closest to your head, securing it in place.^{[19]
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- If you’re worried that your tichel will come undone, secure it with a pin or hair tie.^{[20]
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8
Adjust your tichel if needed. Take a moment to look in the mirror and “correct” anything that looks off to you—like odd folding or loose hair. Once you’ve done that, you’re finished!

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Hanging in the Back

1
Tie your hair back. Pull your hair into a bun or low ponytail if needed. You can use clips, a hair tie, or a hair cover to secure it in place.
2
Fold the hem of the scarf inwards. If your scarf is too wide, or if you don’t want the hem to be visible, simply fold the edge of the scarf over. This gives you a better fit and hides the hem from sight.^{[21]
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3
Drape your scarf evenly across your head. Rest the folded edge along your hairline, and make sure that both sides of the scarf are of equal length.^{[22]
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4
Pull the ends of your scarf behind your head. Grab the sides of your scarf, tug them back, and gently grip them together directly underneath your hair—a bit like you’re pulling it into a ponytail.
5
Tie the scarf behind your head. Cross the ends of your scarf over each other, reach through the gap, and pull one end of the scarf up through the gap. Then take one end of the scarf in each hand, and pull them outwards from the side of your head to tighten the knot at the back of your head.^{[23]
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- This can cause your tichel to shift a little bit, so you may need to fix where it sits on your head or pull down the edges.^{[24]
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- Keep the scarf tight enough for it to sit securely on your head. Don’t pull it too tight, though—you don’t want to give yourself a headache.
6
Tie a bow in the back. By now, you’ll have two loose sections of the scarf hanging behind your head. Grab the fabric a few inches away from your head, loop a small amount of fabric around each other, and pull the ends through; it’s a bit like tying shoes.^{[25]
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- Gently tugging the top and bottom of the sides of the bow will make the bow appear larger.
- The bow is a nice touch for some, but it isn’t truly necessary; you can just tie an ordinary knot.
7
Make any needed adjustments. Take a look in the mirror to check how your tichel looks. Fix any creasing or visible hair, if desired, and then you should be done!
- This style of tichel can be left behind your head, or tossed over the front of your shoulder; it’s rather versatile.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Hanging to the Side

1
Tie your hair back. Pull your hair into a bun or low ponytail if needed. You can use clips, a hair tie, or a hair cover to secure it in place.
2
Fold the hem of the scarf inwards. Many rectangular scarves are too wide for a tichel, and you may prefer for the hem to not be visible. You can fold over the scarf to make it thinner and hide the hem.
3
Rest your scarf unevenly on your head. Drape your tichel on top of your head, with the folded hem resting on your hairline. Adjust it so one side hangs a few inches longer than the other.^{[26]
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- If you want your tichel to hang on a specific side, make that side the shorter side. (For instance, if you want your tichel on the right side, place the shorter side on your right.)^{[27]
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4
Tie your scarf at the back of your head. Grab the loose ends of the scarf, and pull it back behind your head as though you’re making a low ponytail. Knot the scarf together at the back of your head, directly underneath your hair, and pull the ends loose so they don’t get stuck in the knot.^{[28]
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- Your tichel should be tied snugly, but comfortably—tight enough to not come undone or fall off, but loose enough that it doesn’t cause pain.
5
Move the ends of your scarf in front of your shoulders. Once you’ve tied your tichel, pull the ends over your shoulders so that they’re resting over your shoulders and chest.
6
Wrap the long end over your head. Take the long end of the scarf, tuck in the sides if they’re uneven,^{[29]
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- If the long end of the fabric is bunched up when you wrap it, your tichel will have folds or creases. If that’s not what you want, pull the sides tight before you wrap it, so the fabric will lie flat.^{[31]
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7
Tie the loose fabric together. While holding the short end of the scarf near your head, take the other side of your tichel in your other hand, and knot them together close to your head.^{[32]
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- Alternatively, clip or pin the sides together, or use a hair tie to hold it in place.
8
Adjust your tichel as needed. Check your tichel in the mirror to see if it looks how you’d like. If something looks “off” about it, then adjust the scarf accordingly until your tichel looks better. Once you’ve done that, you’re finished!