Do you have a floppy brimmed hat left over from this summer? A straw hat you have never used, but bought because it could come in handy? Then this is the tutorial for YOU.

Supply List:

1. Old hat (should be a larger hat with a wider brim)

2. Wire for edges – you can buy coated millinery wire online, otherwise you can go to the floral section of any Joann Fabrics or Michaels and buy floral wire. You want to get the kind that is either wrapped, or coated so as to prevent rusting. And buy wire that you can just barely bend. If it is too pliable it will bend out of shape too easily. 18 gauge should work.

3. Ribbon or bias tape to cover the outside edges.

4. Sewing machine

5. Scissors

6. Pins or clips to hold the bias tape in place.

7. A piping foot or cording/pearling foot for your sewing machine is ideal, but you can sew without it.

8. Ruler or measuring tape

9. Thread that coordinates with your hat color, and your bias tape/ribbon color.

10. Hot glue sticks and gun if you want to attach trims using glue.

11. Hand sewing needles if you wish to attach trim by hand.

12. Trims, bits and bobbles for accessorizing.

 

Directions:
1. Remove all trims, cords, etc. from your hat.


2. Measure from the inside of the hat out to the brim and determine the width you want on the brim. For the wool hat I decided I needed to take off 2 inches. For the straw hat I decided to take off 3.5 inches. I measured from where the needle on the sewing machine to the right to determine the placement of a piece of tape as a guideline. On my machine this happened to coincide with two seams in the plastic of the case, so I used those as guides.

3. For the straw I simply stitched around the hat using the guideline mark. Then I used the scissors to trim the hat to ¼ inch from the stitched line. Straw needs to be sewn first or it will fray.


4. For the wool I marked a line on the hat in chalk where I wanted the brim to be. Then I used my zig-zag stitch and stitched over the wire onto the line. I used a pearling foot and fed my wire through the foot. Otherwise I would recommend a zipper foot, or something you can line the wire up against. Go very slowly so you do not hit the wire with the needle.


5. When you have stitched around to the other end of the wire, line them up against each other so they overlap by about an inch. Stitch over both wires to secure them down.

6. Use your scissors to trim the wool to ¼ inch away from the stitched wire.

7. Take your bias tape or ribbon and fold it over the edge of the hat. Pin or clip bias tape in place and stitch it down. Be careful not to hit the wire if the brim is wired.


8. Before bending the brim, decide what trim you want along the inside edge of the hat. Sew or glue the trim along the edge.

9. Bend brim into whatever shape you find pleasing.

10. Use any other bobbles, bits, trims, pins, etc. to decorate your hat by either gluing it on, or stitching it on. Allow your imagination to go wild!

11. Put on your hat and enjoy.

So don’t look in your closet with frustration, look in there with inspiration!