How to Make Bonnets for Little Girls

Sew an adjustable bonnet for a little girl.

Most little girls love playing dress-up and enjoy feeling beautiful; however, buying clothes and accessories can get expensive. Using fabric from old clothes is a great way to repurpose old items and save money. Making a bonnet for your little girl is simple; make it from old cotton fabric. Customize the color and pattern of the fabric and use ribbon and elastic to make a bonnet that adjusts to fit any little girl.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Fabric measuring tape
• Fabric marker
• Thin interfacing
• Scissors
• Iron
• Sewing pins
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• 1/4-inch elastic
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Spread out the fabric on a flat surface, right-side up. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, creating a fold down the middle, with the right sides facing and the fold on the left side. Marking out the pieces along the fold creates two symmetrical sides. Starting near the bottom of the fabric, measure and mark a 14-inch vertical line along the fold to begin a rectangle. Draw a 7-inch horizontal line for the bottom and a 9-inch vertical line for the right side of the rectangle. Finish the top of the rectangle by drawing a curved line between the top of the 14-inch left side and the 9-inch right side. Leave the fabric folded and cut through the fold and both sides of the fabric to remove the main piece from the fabric.

2. Draw the pieces for the brim onto the fabric, using the folded edge. Measure and trace a 3 1/2-inch vertical line along the fold for the right side of a rectangle. Draw the bottom of the rectangle with a 9-inch horizontal line and the top with a 6-inch horizontal line. Finish the rectangle by creating a curved right side, extending from the 6-inch top line to the 9-inch bottom line. Repeat this process to create a total of two brim pieces from the fabric and two brim pieces from thin, iron-on interfacing. Cut the four pieces from the material, cutting through the fold and both sides of the fabric.

3. Attach the interfacing to the brim pieces with a hot iron. Line up the edges of one piece of interfacing with the back side of a brim piece of fabric. Follow manufacturer's instructions for the interfacing to determine the correct method of attachment. Repeat this process for the other piece of interfacing and brim piece.

4. Place the two brim pieces together, right-sides facing, and pin around the edges. Sew along the curved edges and the shortest straight side, leaving the long straight side open. Turn the brim right-side out and fold up a 1/4-inch hemline along the straight open edge of each side of the brim. Iron each hemline in place.

5. Lay the main bonnet piece right-side down with the long flat edge toward the bottom. Fold up the bottom edge about 1/4-inch to create a hemline. Pin the fold in place and sew along the edge to create a hem.

6. Set your sewing machine to create a basting stitch. Refer to the machine's instructions for information on how to locate the setting. Sew a basting stitch along the remaining edges of the main piece of the bonnet. Begin the stitch at the bottom of one side. Run it up over the top curve of the bonnet and back down to the other side.

7. Fold the brim in half widthwise and lay it on a flat surface. Lay the main piece of the bonnet so the hemmed bottom edge is at the bottom and fold in half lengthwise. Turn the main piece so the folded basting stitch lies along the long, straight edge of the folded brim to determine the correct length of the bonnet while adjusting the basting stitch. Pull the basting stitch to cinch the fabric and shorten the edge. Tie off each end of the basting stitch when the two pieces of the bonnet have even edges.

8. Unfold the two pieces and align the basted edge in between the open edge of the brim. Overlap the brim about 1/4 inch over the basting stitch. Match up the bottom corners on each side of the bonnet and pin in place around the edges. Sew the brim to the main bonnet piece along the pinned edges.

9. Cut a 3-inch length of elastic. Measure in 4 inches from each side along the bottom hemline of the bonnet. Make a small dot on the fabric of the hemline to mark each measurement. Attach one end of elastic to each point, using a sewing pin. Bunch up the fabric between the elastic, creating tension along the neck of the bonnet. Sew each side of the elastic in place.

10. Cut two pieces of ribbon, each measuring 7 inches long. Position and sew one ribbon to the inside of each side of the bonnet at the point where the brim and the main piece are sewn together.