How to Make Homemade Costume Hats

A paper top hat makes an ideal costume hat.

Making a costume hat at home doesn't require extensive sewing skills. Costume hats can be made easily using construction paper and other basic materials. Top hats made of construction paper are among the most versatile, as they can be used for an Abraham Lincoln costume, a Cat in the Hat costume or a leprechaun costume.

Things You'll Need

• Four sheets white construction paper
• Multipurpose glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Spray paint

Instructions

1. Attach one piece of white construction paper to another piece of white construction paper using multipurpose glue. To attach the pieces, apply glue along a 1-inch strip of a long edge of one of the construction paper sheets. Then place the second sheet so that one of its long edges overlaps the first sheet by 1 inch.

2. Apply multipurpose glue to one short edge of both sheets, then roll the construction paper to create a large tube. Affix the glue-coated short edges to the other short edges.

3. Place the tube onto the center of a white sheet of construction paper and trace the outline of the tube onto the construction paper using a pencil. This will create a circle at the center of the construction paper. Repeat this step with another sheet of white construction paper.

4. Draw an X across the circle at the center of the one of the sheets of construction paper and use a pair of scissors to cut along the lines of the X. This sheet will become the bottom of the hat.

5. Cut the corners of the sheet of construction paper to round it out, then fold the tabs created by cutting along the lines of the X at the center of the construction paper.

6. Apply multipurpose glue to the tabs and attach the tube to the construction paper by placing the tube over the tabs and then pushing the tabs onto the inside of the tube.

7. Cut out a circle on the other sheet of white construction paper about 1 inch larger than the circle that you've drawn.

8. Fold the paper along the circle that's been drawn and apply multipurpose glue to the margin outside the circle.

9. Attach the circle to the top of the hat by pushing the part of the paper that has glue on it onto the inside of the tube.

10. Spray paint the entire hat according to your costume's look.

References

• Kansas City, Kansas Public Library: Make a Cat-in-the-Hat Hat
• Family Fun: Halloween Craft

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish