How to Make a Paper and Cloth Wide-Brimmed Lady's Bonnet for Tea Parties

Who doesn't love wearing a big hat at a ladies' tea party? With some inexpensive cotton print cloth, a stapler, a piece of ribbon and a poster board each of your guests can create a terrific fashion statement. The unique hats become nice keepsakes and best of all, make for outstanding photographs of your party. Whether your guests are eight years old or 80, this craft project will be a hit at your event.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 piece of white poster board
• Several pieces of old newspaper or tissue paper
• 2 10-inch lengths of ribbon or extra lengths of fabric to match your main cloth sample
• Needle and thread
• Feathers or fake flowers (optional)
• Stapler
• 1 1/2 yards cotton print or solid about 30 inches wide
• 12-inch square piece of the same or matching cloth
• Scissors
• Large working area like a dining room table at which everyone can sit and talk while making their hat

1. Cut out a circle in the center of your poster board that is slightly larger than it needs to be to fit over your head like a crown. Then cut the rest of the poster board so that the center circle is surrounded by an oval rim that is between six and eight inches wide. You end up with a donut-shaped flat piece of poster board. This is the brim of your hat.

2. Prepare the fabric by cutting a 30-inch square and setting it aside for later. Then rip the remaining fabric into strips that are about six inches wide and run the length of the cloth. Fold over about 3/8 inch at the end of the first strip and secure it to the poster board with a couple of staples. Weave the strip of fabric around the poster board going into the center and back out and around the outside edge. Don't pull the fabric so tight that it distorts the cardboard. When you get to the end of the strip, fold it over and staple it to the poster board. Repeat this until the whole brim of the hat is completely covered with the fabric.

3. Make the top part of the hat. Arrange the large, 30-inch square of fabric with the top side on top of the fabric covered brim. Pull the edges through the center hole so that a few inches extend below the bottom of the brim. Fasten the top to the brim by stapling the wrong side of the square to the top of the brim about 1/4 inch away from the edge of the circumference. Staple all the way through the fabric and the poster board. The square of fabric will cover the hole so that the wrong side of that cloth will be visible from the bottom of the brim. This cloth will be loose and puff out on top.

4. Stuff the top of the hat with crumpled newspaper or tissue paper until the hat is stable and proportional to the brim. Using staples again, or if you want the hat to last, sew the 10 inch square of fabric to the inside edge of the brim. Don't make this flat - try it on your head first so you can adjust the tension for your own head. Make sure that the raw edges are turned under as with a hem to prevent unraveling.

5. Decorate the hat. Some people add ribbons where the brim meets the top of the hat. Then they insert flowers or feathers to stick out jauntily from the band. Others like to sew ribbons to tie the hat with a bow under the chin so the wind does not blow it away.

Tips & Warnings

• Tell your party guests to wear fancy old-fashioned clothes. Then have a fashion show with the addition of the hats.
• Have a best hat, funniest hat, largest hat, most decorative hat, most unique hat contest and award prizes for each category.

[partyfairy]

on 7/5/2008 Tea Party Hats and Hat Making Kits, plus teacups, dressups and more at www.teapartytreasures.com