How to Make a Black Beret
If you're hoping to add an element of chicness to your wardrobe, look no further than the French and the beatniks for fashion inspiration; these cool cats made the beret, a simplistic round hat, into a staple item in the world of high fashion and minimalist design. Save some serious dollars by making your own classically cool black beret right at home; all you'll need are some inexpensive and easily accessible materials like an old black sweatshirt and a needle and thread. Add your own custom finishing touches to give the hat a bit of personality, and you're ready to hit the streets.
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard or newspaper
- Compass
- Scissors
- Adult-size plain black sweatshirt
- Ruler
- Pins
- Sewing needle
- Black thread
Instructions
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1
Lay your cardboard on a flat surface. Using your compass rose, create a 12-inch circle, and then inside that circle, create a smaller 6-inch circle. Cut out the 6-inch circle and discard it; you will be left with a ring-shaped piece of cardboard.
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2
Use a pair of scissors to shear off the ribbing at the bottom of your sweatshirt. Set the ribbing aside for later use. Place the cardboard ring inside the sweatshirt, pinning it through both layers of the material; this will leave you with two 12-inch circles of sweatshirt fabric.
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3
Set one circle aside to later use as the crown of the beret, and pin the cardboard ring again to the other circle, which will end up being the brim. Cut out the 6-inch circle in the middle and discard it, so you are left with a ring of sweatshirt fabric.
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4
Use your scissors to trim a strip from your sweatshirt ribbing; ideally you should measure your own head to gauge an accurate fit, but an average size is 22 inches wide by 6 inches high. Sew the edges of this strip together with your needle and black thread, and then fold the resulting headband in half so that the new height is 3 inches. Set the headband aside while you prepare the other beret components.
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5
Lay the crown circle and the brim circle on top of one another. Pin the outer edges together, and use a needle and black thread to sew them, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Turn the resulting sewn piece inside out.
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6
Sew the headband portion to the brim of the beret using your needle and black thread.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can't find a plain black sweatshirt, turn one with a design on the front inside out. If you don't own a black sweatshirt or wish to use another kind of material, you may substitute another variety of black fabric like felt.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
