How to Weave a Flax Hat
The Maori of Australia and New Zealand have long used flax reed to make baskets, clothing and toys. The Maori value the gifts that the flax plant brings to their lives and so send prayers of thanks before harvesting or weaving the plant. Hats can be woven from different materials such as straw, coconut leaves and almost any other type of material. Flax provides a durable reed that is easy to manipulate when wet. It can also be dyed various colors if desired. Weaving is easy once the basics are mastered. Weaving a hat will require a little bit of skill due to the unique shape, but it is achievable.
Things You'll Need
- Flax strips
- Knife
- Scissors
- Plastic sheets for wrapping flax
- Large crochet hook
- Large needle
- Bucket
- Fishing line
- Wooden hat block
- Iron
Instructions
-
-
1
Soak the flax reeds in a bucket of water overnight to make them pliable. Eight hours is the minimum amount of soaking time required.
-
2
Weave an oval with the reeds the size of a dinner plate. This will be the center of the hat. To weave the reeds, start with 10 reeds. Tie these together at one end with fishing wire. This will serve as the warp. You may add reeds to the warp until you create the desired width.
-
-
3
Take one to five reeds to use as the weft and weave through the warp reeds from right to left. Then repeat from left to right. Add more reeds when needed. When you come to the end of the warp, secure to the wooden hat block with fishing line.
-
4
Continue to weave as you go around and up the hat block to create the crown or top of the hat. Ensure that the reed is fitted to the hat block.
-
5
Weave the brim of the hat by inserting reeds into the bottom of the center piece. Continue to weave until reaching the desired width.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Cut the ends off the strands to "clean up" the hat. Iron the reeds on top of the hat into shape. Take off the hat block and iron the brim flat. Let the hat dry into shape and enjoy.
