How to Make a Fox Hat

Hats are something that can be challenging to keep on a child's head, even in winter. The trick is to make the hat so cool and irresistible that the child won't want to take it off. One cute, easy craft is to make a fox hat. Be warned: Your child may not wish to take it off ever. Perhaps you should make two.

Things You'll Need

• Paper bag
• Pencil
• Tailor's chalk
• Red fleece fabric
• White fleece fabric
• Red thread
• Pins
• Needle or sewing machine
• Dressmaker's measuring tape
• Yard stick

Instructions

Create a Pattern

1. Measure the circumference of your child's head with the measuring tape. Measure from the center of the child's forehead, under the ears and around to the back of the head near the hairline to the front again. Measure next from just below one ear, over the top of the ear and beneath the other ear. Write these numbers down.

2. Cut down one of the creases of a brown paper bag, then cut all the way around the bottom of the bag. When you are finished cutting, you will be left with a very large piece of paper that you can lay flat on your work surface.

3. Divide the measurement you took of the circumference of the child's head in half. Use a yard stick and a pencil to draw a line of that length on your brown paper. Mark the center of that line. This represents the bottom of the fox hat.

4. Divide the measurement you took from your child's ear to ear in half. Make a line that's the length of this calculation on the brown paper, beginning at the center of the line that represents the bottom of the fox hat. You should have what looks like an upside-down "T" on your brown paper. The top of the perpendicular line will mark the crown or top of the fox hat.

5. Use a flexible ruler to connect the ends of the horizontal line with the perpendicular line. Try to make the curve even on both sides. When you are finished, you'll have what looks like the top half of an oval.

6. Draw a pattern for the fox ears on the brown paper. The ears can resemble the shape of fox ears, which are fairly rounded but with points on the ends. Make two pattern pieces for the ears.

7. Cut out your pattern pieces. Cut your pattern into two pieces, following the perpendicular line you drew when determining the crown of the fox hat (Step 4).

Cut the Fabric

1. Fold the red fleece fabric in half, right side in, and lay it on your work table. Place the pattern pieces on the fabric, and secure them in place with straight pins.

2. Trace around the pattern pieces with tailor's chalk. Use a ruler to add 1/2 inch seam allowance. For the bottom of the hat, you can add even more of an allowance to create an extra layer of fabric that will go over the ears. For example, if you wish to have a 4-inch-wide overlap, add a 4-inch seam allowance to the bottom of the hat pattern. For the ears, use one of the pattern pieces to make two red ears.

3. Cut out the fabric. You should have four pattern pieces for the hat and two pattern pieces for the ears.

4. Fold the white fleece material in half, right side in. Pin one of the ear pattern pieces to it, and trace around it with tailor's chalk. Use a ruler to add a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Cut out the fabric. You should have two white ears.

Assemble

1. Pin the hat pieces together with the right sides facing in. Pin two of the four pieces together to make one half of the fox hat, then do the same with the other two pieces.

2. Pin one of the red ear pieces to one of the white ear pieces with the right sides of the fabric facing in. Do this will the other ear pieces as well.

3. Use a sewing machine or a needle to sew the pieces together. Sew the edges of the ears together, leaving the bottom of the ear open. Turn the ears right side out.

4. Sew the two fox hat pieces together to make two halves of the hat. Slip the two ears between the two halves with the tips of the ears pointing down. Adjust the ear pieces into the position you like. You want them to be positioned on either side of the crown of the hat with the tips of the ears pointing slightly inwards toward the center. Do not worry if this means you will sew across the ears at an angle. The placement of the ears is the most important concern. Pin the two halves and the ears in place.

5. Sew the two fox hat halves together, leaving the bottom open. Fold up the overlap you created around the bottom of the hat and pin it in place. You can either leave the edge as it is or fold it under--this is up to you. Sew around the bottom of the hat to secure the overlap.

6. Turn the hat right side out and enjoy the fox hat.

Tips & Warnings

• Size up the fox hat for adults. Why should kids have all the fun? You can make a fox hat for yourself as well.

Resources

• JoAnn's has a flexible ruler
• Steinlauf and Stoller has straight pins.