Directions for Making a Paper Stove Pipe Hat
The stove pipe hat, Abraham Lincoln’s iconic top hat, is tall with straight sides and, traditionally black. Make a stove pipe hat from paper and use it as a decoration for President’s Day, or as part of a presidential costume for yourself or your child. Provide the supplies and space and let kids make their own stove pipe hats as a party activity. You and your child will enjoy making this paper stove pipe hat with basic craft supplies and skills for a unique decoration or addition to a costume.
Things You'll Need
- Dinner plate
- Black card stock (optional)
- Black construction paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Craft glue
- Black felt
- Foam craft brush
- Craft knife (optional)
- Tape measure (optional)
- Hole punch (optional)
- Yarn or elastic cord (optional)
Instructions
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1
Lay a dinner plate on top of a sheet of black card stock or construction paper. Trace the outline with a pencil and cut out with scissors. This will be the brim of the hat. Set it aside.
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2
Place one sheet of black construction paper horizontally on the work surface. Overlap a second sheet, also horizontally, about 1 inch on top of the first and glue the overlapped areas together with craft glue. Allow it to dry for about 10 minutes.
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3
Roll up the construction paper to form the stove pipe. Allow at least a 2-inch brim outside of the stove pipe. Cut off excess paper from the stove pipe, overlapping about two inches, and glue together. Allow it to dry.
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4
Trace the outline of the top of the stovepipe onto black construction paper. Cut out the circle about 1/2-inch inside the lines of the traced circle. Snip every inch around the circle, cutting 1/2-inch into the circle to create tabs around the outside. Bend the tabs and apply a drop of glue to the outside of each tab. Brush the glue onto the tab with a foam craft brush. This creates the top of the hat.
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5
Tuck the top of the hat into the stove pipe and place it upside down. Put your hand into the stove pipe and push each tab onto the inside of the hat to secure. Allow it to dry. You may need to hold each tab a few seconds for the glue to grab the paper.
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6
Center the bottom of the stove pipe on top of the brim and run a bead of glue around the bottom edge. Add some weight, such as several paper plates, to the top of the hat to help it grab onto the brim. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.
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7
Cut two 2-inch wide strips of black felt to create a hatband. Glue one strip along the bottom of the stove pipe, at the brim, covering as much of the glued area as possible. Butt the second strip of felt up to the end of the first and wrap around the remaining stovepipe bottom edge. Cut off excess and glue in place, covering the remaining glued area. Allow it to dry.
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8
Cut an x-shaped slit in the center of the underside of the hat with a craft knife and cut out a round opening to fit the head if you want to wear the hat rather than just display it. Cut the hole large enough for the hat to sit comfortably on the head. Alternatively, measure around the child's or adult's forehead with a tape measure and cut a hole to that measurement. Be careful not to cut beyond the area under the stovepipe.
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9
Punch two holes on the side of the brim, near the stove pipe, and string yarn or elastic through to secure the hat on a small child, if desired.
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Tips & Warnings
Let young children use glue sticks instead of craft glue to make the hat.
Make fun party hats by using different colors of construction paper, adding stripes, polka dots and stars to the stovepipe.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
