No Sew Mini Santa Hat

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  Step 1

  Find or make an oval-shaped template for the base of your hat. This is the cap from a bottle of shower gel.
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  Trace it onto your base material, either thick craft foam or cardboard. If you're using foam and a cap, you can press it into the foam instead.
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  Cut out your base.

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  Step 2

  Wrap a scrap of string or yarn around the hat base and cut it at the point where it overlaps itself. You'll use this to measure the circumference of the hat when cutting your felt, so keep this string handy.

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  Step 3

  Use the string to measure a piece of red felt. Add a little extra width on either end as a seam allowance.
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  The length of this piece should be about how long you want your hat to be. It should be a little longer than it is wide.
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  Cut to size.

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  Step 4

  Fold the felt in half length-wise and cut along the fold.

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  Step 5

  Take one piece of the red felt and again fold in half length-wise. Cut (as straight as you can) from just above the outside corner (where the edges meet) to the opposite corner (at the fold) diagonally.
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  The two small triangles are scrap, unfold and keep the large triangle.
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  Repeat with the other half of the red felt.
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  Cut off the very tip of each triangle to make it blunt.

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  Step 6

  Hot glue the triangles together, wrong side out, on the two long sides, leaving the short side unglued.
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  I chose the rougher, fuzzier side of the felt to be the right side of the fabric. (See step 8.)
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  Once your triangles are glued together, reinforce the seams by gluing along the outside edges, too.

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  Step 7

  Gently turn the hat right side out. You may need something long and pointed (like your scissors) to push the tip all the way out.

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  Step 8

  Using an old toothbrush or something similar, firmly brush the outside of the hat until it gets a traditional Santa hat fuzziness.

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  Step 9

  Shred a few cotton balls and very lightly stuff the hat. This should be just enough to give it some body, not enough to make it stiff.

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  Step 10

  Put the base in the bottom of the hat and make sure it fits in nice and straight. If it's not staying in place, add a little more stuffing.
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  Fold the felt over the base at each seam and glue down, then glue the felt over the base all around the edge.

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  Step 11

  Cut a piece of white felt the width you want your trim to be, and the length of your measuring string. My trim is about an inch wide.

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  Step 12

  Get another cotton ball. If you look at it, you'll see it's rolled, like toilet paper. Grab what looks like the end and unroll it.
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  In small segments, spread a very thin layer of hot glue (you can use the glue gun tip to spread it) onto the felt and firmly press the cotton into it. Make sure you cover all of the felt.
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  One cotton ball was enough to cover my entire trim, but you may need to pull and stretch a little bit to get it to fit properly.

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  Step 13

  Once the glue is completely cool and firm, gently pull off the excess cotton, leaving behind a pretty convincing faux fur trim.

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  Step 14

  Glue the trim to the hat, mostly along the bottom edge. Put the seam at what will be the back of the hat and firmly glue it at the seam.

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  Step 15

  Flatten one side of your pom-pon and glue it to the tip of the hat.
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  If you don't have a pom-pon, you could probably work up a nice one with cotton and felt.

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  Step 16

  Pull the tip of the hat forward and to one side from the front of the hat, making it look appropriately floppy. Glue it into this position.

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  Step 17

  Now add whatever fastener you'll be using to the hat. As you can see, I'm using two clutch back jewelry pins.
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  Hot glue worked nicely with these pins, but it may not work for everything, as it doesn't adhere well to some surfaces. You may have to substitute another kind of glue for your fastener. Super glue will work for most hard surfaces and bonds quickly. A strong fabric glue (like E6000) might be preferable if you're using a fabric fastener like a headband.
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  NOTE: Depending on your fastener, you may need to reverse steps 17 and 18. For instance, if your fastener is a hair clip, complete step 18, and then come back to step 17.

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  Step 18

  Using your oval template and a pencil, trace and cut out a piece of white felt.
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  Glue the felt oval firmly to the bottom of the hat with hot glue. Depending on what your fastener is, you may need to cut a slit for it.
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  Your mini hat is ready to wear!

Comments

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Katie B. · 3 projects 27th October 2012

What a awesome idea! Will defiantly have to try this out x

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