How to Create a Kentucky Derby Hat
One of the most anticipated events on the social calendar is the Kentucky Derby. Although ostensibly there for the annual horse race--also dubbed the "most exciting two minutes in sports"--many socialites come to Churchill Downs to flaunt their elaborate and creative hats. For over 100 years, hat wearing has been one of the most upheld traditions at the Kentucky Derby. If you will be in attendance at the next Derby, it's never too soon to start planning your hat design. The best way to avoid seeing another person wearing the same hat is to make one yourself, which you can learn to do, even without any prior hat-making experience. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Buy a straw hat. Many stores sell plain straw hats for under $10. Straw hats are best because the sturdy material will keep its shape. It's also easy to add decorative materials to the straw's weave. Find a hat with a wide brim, for a more classic, Southern belle appearance.
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Browse through images online for inspiration. See Resources for a collection of Kentucky Derby hats.
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Decide on your dress. Some people buy their dresses after buying their hats. If you plan on creating your own hat, however, you don't have to wait to buy your dress. Instead, you can buy your dress and allow it to inspire your hat design.
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Visit the fabric store. If you're basing your hat design on your dress, bring the dress to the store with you and match it up with the materials you'll use to adorn your hat. Look for buttons, ribbons, silk flowers, lace and veils.
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Buy a craft glue that works well with fabrics.
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Start with the ribbon as the base of the hat. Add a small stream of glue to the ribbon only and slowly wrap the ribbon around the circumference of the hat. Slide your fingers across the ribbon to smooth out any bumps. Snip excess ribbon with a pair of scissors.
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Add silk flowers to your hat. A great trick to hide the ribbon's seam is to place a silk flower in front of it. Adhere the flowers to the hat with a dab of craft glue on the flower.
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Continue to add more adornments. A popular adornment is lace that can be strategically placed in front of the silk flowers to give the hat more dimension.
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Add feathers to your hat for a fun decoration. Feathers can also be purchased at the fabric store.
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Tips & Warnings
Think about what hairstyle you will have before designing your hat. Avoid having big hair with a big hat, because they will both compete with each other for attention. Instead, consider pulling your hair into a low knot.
Measure your head size before purchasing a hat, especially if you plan to purchase one online. Avoid matching your hat and dress up too closely. The two should complement each other, but not be exactly the same. Pull one color from the dress and allow that to be the dominant color in your hat. This way the two are in the same family, but not twins.
Resources
- Photo Credit Velo Steve (Flickr)
