How to Make Children's Hats

Making hats for children can be fun with creativity and sewing patience. Hats can be custom fitted and designed to each child's preferences. Fleece and felt lend themselves well to hats for children due to durability.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 8 ½ x 11-inch paper (for pattern)
• Newspaper or larger-sized paper (for pattern)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• 1 yard fleece
• 1 yard felt
• Scissors
• Embellishments

Instructions

Taking Measurements

1. Measure the child's head around the forehead.

2. Measure from the crown of the head to under the child's ears.

3. Write down the measurements.

Fleece Hat

1. Divide the child's head measurement in half, and add 2 inches. The 2 inches are for seam allowance. This is the flat width of the hat.

2. Draw a line on the larger paper equal to the flat width of the hat.

3. Through the center of the line equal to the flat width of the hat, vertically (up and down) draw a line the length of the child's crown to ears plus 2 inches. You have a cross on a piece of paper.

4. Cut the paper into a rectangle whose dimensions are the flat width of the hat plus 2 inches x the length from crown to ears plus 2 inches.

5. Fold the paper along the center line. Trim the sides even.

6. Round the corner of one shorter side (not the folded or opposite side), now "the top," and cut out.

7. Open the folded rectangle. This is your pattern. You should have a rectangle with a rounded top measuring the flat width of the child's head/hat plus 2 inches x the length of the child's crown-to-ear measurement plus 2 inches.

8. Cut 2 pieces of fleece using the pattern.

9. Sew, using a 1-inch seam allowance, both sides and the rounded top.

10. Hem the head opening using a 1-inch seam allowance. Turn inside out and decorate, hand sewing flowers, etc., outside the hat.

Felt Hat

1. Fold the 8½ x 11-inch paper in half. Cut on the fold.

2. Fold this piece of paper in half, and mark a line of dots on the fold.

3. Measure 1 inch from the fold on the very top of the paper and then 1 inch down. Mark a dark dot.

4. Measure 1 inch over and 1 inch down from the first dot, and mark a second dot.

5. Measure 1 inch over and 1 inch down from the second dot, and mark a third dot.

6. Connect the slope from the 3 dots to the fold.

7. Cut the rounded corner off the paper. Unfold. You should have an approximately 5½-inch square with a sloped point at the top. This is the pattern for 1 segment of the felt hat.

8. Cut 3 or 4 inches of this pattern from the felt, depending on the head measurement of the child.

9. Sew the edges/slopes together one at a time, meeting in the center at the point, forming a circle.

10. Trim the head opening and hem. Add embellishments.

Tips & Warnings

• A pom-pom can be made by winding yarn around an index card. Tie in the center. Cut the bottom loops. Tie a piece of yarn around in tassel fashion, and sew to the center top of the hat.

Resources

• Fleece