How to Make a Fez

Made famous by the Shriners and monkeys holding tin cups, the fez is a distinctive-looking hat that usually has a tassel on top. A fez is shaped like a cone with its pointy end cut off. Once you learn how to make a fez, you can make one for all of your friends.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 5-inch-square piece of felt
• 7-inch-high rectangle of felt of a length that is 1/2 inch more than your head's circumference
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread
• Small tassel

1. Cut the top of the hat from a 5-inch-square piece of felt. The top should be a circle. Although head sizes differ, a 4-inch diameter is usually sufficient for the top of the hat.

2. Cut the body of the hat from a rectangle of felt. You want to end up with a curved rectangle of felt. Make sure one part of the curve is the circumference of the circle you made in Step 1. The sides of the curved rectangle should be about 4 inches, the height of the fez.

3. Wrap the curved rectangle of felt around your head to make sure it fits. Pin the loose sides together so that the fez sits securely on your head.

4. Sew the loose sides of the fez together using a needle and thread. Leave a 1/4-inch portion unsewn at the top. You will use this 1/4 inch to attach the body of the fez to its top.

5. Turn the body of the fez inside-out, and pin the remaining 1/4-inch portion to the circle that will be the top of the fez. You might need to snip the top 1/4 inch in a few places, so that you can sew it smoothly to the circle. Sew the two pieces together.

6. Sew the tassel to the center of the circular top of the fez.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with the proportions of your fez. Some fez-makers say that the height of the fez should be 1/4 the circumference of your head.

[mazzarelli]

on 5/27/2009 wow- stupid and rude...this was a very helpful article IF you know how to sew or just have some common sense. Thanks for posting this! I am a costumer and cant find a fez anywhere!! This is cheaper and easy!

[stamagoy]

on 2/24/2009 Start with a rectangle, then slightly curve the top long side, then similarly the bottom long side. The circumference of your head will be the length of longer curve, and the circumference of the top circle will be the length of the shorter curve. Be sure to square the edges so that they meet at 90 degrees. Anyone who can't picture what a curved rectangle might look like doesn't deserve to own a computer and have access to information he or she will never be able to use.

[shanda623]

on 11/23/2008 I found this article very helpful. Anyone that didn't, doesn't sew. A cuve is where you take a rectagnel and put it around a cicle to make it round for instant like the FEZ

[akyme]

on 1/8/2008 Not a helpful article at all!!!

[akyme]

on 1/8/2008 What the hell is a curved rectangle?! By definition, if it is curved, it cannot be a rectangle you ingnorant, inept, unhelpful pricks! This is obviously just a site to create ad revenue!