How To Make a Tricorne Hat
Making a felt tricorn hat for a pirate or 18th century costume will add authenticity to the look. The basic design is easy to make using a felt hat blank (a simple felt hat that can be shaped in different ways). The amount of embellishment is determined by what character is going to wear the hat.
Things You'll Need
- Felt hat blank
- Hand sewing needle
- Thread in the color of the hat and the trim
- Chalk
- Pins
- Trim or bias tape
- Sewing machine
- Awl or leather hole punch
- Cord in the color of the hat
- Ruler
Instructions
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1
Pin the trim on the underside of the brim along the outside edge. Carefully pleat or gather the inside edge of the trim so that it will lie flat.
If you prefer to use bias tape, pin one side of the bias tape to the top side of the brim, pleating or gathering as you go. Sew that edge down.
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2
Sew the trim to the hat brim, either by hand or with your sewing machine. Get as close to the edge of the trim as possible.
If you are using bias tape, fold the bias tape over the edge and pin it to the bottom side of the brim, again pleating or gathering. Sew the edge down.
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3
Mark the upper side of the brim of the hat at three equidistant points starting with the center back. Mark the crown of the hat where it starts to curve at three points corresponding to the points on the brim. Imagine a line going from the center of the dome to the point on the brim.
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4
Sew the brim of the hat to the crown at the three points. Just do a couple stitches to hold the brim in place.
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5
Mark the corners of a 2- to 3-inch square on the turned-up flaps of the hat. The square should be in the center of the turned up flap so that once you tie the brim to the hat the brim is snugged up against the crown. The size of the square will depend on what looks good with the size of the brim.
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6
Punch holes through the brim and crown of the hat with the awl at the corners you marked in step 5. Hold the brim to the crown snugly.
If you have a leather hole punch it will cut out a nice smooth hole.
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7
Tie the brim to the crown through the holes using the cord. Make sure that the knot is on the inside of the hat.
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8
Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other two sides.
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9
Snip the stitches you put in at Step 4 and pull the threads out.
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Tips & Warnings
Bias tape will curve more smoothly around the brim than trim because of the way it is made.
Many hats had a flash or rosette of ribbon on the left side.
