How to Design a Baby Baseball Hat
Creating and designing accessories such as baseball hats for newborn, infant or toddler categories are always made with safety guidelines as the top priority. Novelty add-ons such as beads and buttons, although decorative, have the potential for harm. The childrenswear industry has established safety guidelines which are implemented during the design process. Baseball hats, referred to as caps, have shaped construction panels which are joined at the crown. Brushed fabrics, which have a soft hand, are generally used for baby baseball caps.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric (your choice)
- Elastic
- Sketch pad
- Drawing paper (optional)
- Markers or colored pencils
- Sharp colored pencils (optional)
- Soft shading colored pencils (optional)
Instructions
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Choose the fabric which will be used for the crown and brim by selecting a soft cloth woven fabric such as a brushed twill or canvas.
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Choose trims such as elastic to hold the baseball cap in place. For example, adjustable clasps or sliders typically inserted at the back of the cap are uncomfortable to a baby's head. By using elastic, the trim is encased in fabric, offering a softer feel. The brim's inner construction, which is usually a hard shaped surface, is often replaced with a thick interfacing. It retains the brim's shape and is also crushable.
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Sketch out the panels within the cap in your sketchpad or drawing paper. Usually baseball caps have six separate panels which are stitched and adjoined during construction. You can opt to change it into a 4-panel cap.
These shaped panels have room to add embroideries or can be color blocked, which is a term used when designers alternate color panels such as green and blue, within the cap design. You can also opt to use a separate color for the brim.
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Choose your color palette with your fabric in mind. For example, if you are color blocking your cap, choose complementary colors such as soft shades of pink and natural as well as greens and blues. Keep the color hues in mind. Dark colors, which are sparingly used in newborn and infant categories, are often mixed as trimming color as opposed to an overall cap color.
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Color in your sketch by adding your fabric's texture or pattern with your markers or colored pencils. For example, if you are color blocking your cap with twill, use a sharp colored pencil and draw diagonal lines to represent the twill. Use soft shading colored pencils or blend pastels into the background to produce the panel's color. If you're using patterns such as cotton pinstripes or a brushed canvas print, color in the pattern.
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Add decorative embroidery to your baby's baseball cap. Although this step is optional, you must keep the embroidery backing in mind to ensure comfort and safety. For example, high thread count embroideries, set at the front of the cap without a soft backing, will scratch against the baby's head. All safety factors must be included during the design process prior to construction to ensure an original and decorative, as well as safe, baby baseball cap.
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