The Life of Jennifer Dawn: Felt Hat Tutorial

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Felt Hat Tutorial

It's Day 18 of...

Today I'll be sharing with you the tutorial for the felt hat I posted yesterday.  But first...
I just have to show you these...
 Yep, that's my little guy wearing his new felt hat.
Sorry!  I just had to do the mommy thing and show him off.

Now for the tutorial!

Supplies:
*paper/pencil
*felt
*basic sewing supplies
*sewing machine

Directions:
1.  The first step is to make your pattern.  You can do this one of two ways:

*Pattern Option 1: Trace around a cap that you already have adding 1/2 inch border to the entire perimeter.

*Pattern Option 2: Measure around your child's head where the bottom of the hat will fit.  Take that measurement and divide the number by 2 and add 1/2 inch.  This is how long the bottom of your pattern should be.  Draw a line with that length on paper.  Then draw an arch to connect the two ends of the line.  (Example:  Eli's head was 16 inches around where I wanted the bottom of the hat to sit.  16/2=8, 8+1/2 in.=8 1/2 in.  I drew an 8 1/2 in. line on the paper and then drew an arch connecting the two ends of that line.)

*Note:  Since this hat is made from felt, it is important to get the size correct in order to ensure a proper fit.

2.  Pin the pattern onto two layers of felt.  Cut around the pattern to make two separate pieces for the hat.

3.  Sew the two pieces together by stitching along the arched side of the hat using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Remember to back stitch at the start and finish.

4.  Use pinking shears to cut around the entire perimeter of the hat--even the bottom edge.  Be careful not to cut through any of your stitches.

5.  Turn the hat right side out and fold the bottom edge up about 1 1/4 in.  This creates a band along the bottom.  Sew along both the bottom and the top of the band to secure it.

6.  Cut out another pieces of felt that measures 11 in. by 1 3/4 in.  This piece will be used to make the tassel.

7.  Fringe one side of the felt and leave a 1/4 in. margin along the other side.

8.  Apply a string of glue along the uncut side and tightly roll it up.  Let it dry completely.

9.  Once the tassel has dried, hand stitch it onto the top of the hat.  I sewed it behind the seam on the side I wanted to be the back.  Doing this allows it to stick up it the perfect position on the hat.

10.  The last step is to place it on a cute little head.

Happy Crafting!

5 comments:

  1. Your pictures are so adorable. I bet he loves his hat.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Super cute! And doesn't sound too hard to make. I am wanting to get into sewing more and this might be a great project to try. Thanks for the easy to follow tutorial!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a great hat, but I have to admit that it was your scrumptious baby that brough me here! You have a lovely family!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Super cute! I am a beginner sewer & this look like something I can actually do!

    I'd love for you to link up & share: http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/2011/12/pinteresting-party-with-christmas.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh your little boy is just precious!! He's so cute! Dawwww. Share away, you have a right to be a proud mommy. ^__^ As for the hat, I love it! It's so cute! I actually have a pattern I use to make fleece ones but they're usually much bigger and use four panels instead of two. I just giggled like crazy at that little pom-pom though. So cute. :)

    ReplyDelete

Each and every one of your comments means so much to me. I love to hear from friends both old and new. Thanks for taking the time to stop by my little corner of the world and thanks for taking the time to let me know you were here.

Subscribe