How to Make Homemade Crazy Hats

Using sheets of newspaper you can make hats so big it's crazy. You can make a large top hat, a towering witch hat or a Texas-sized cowboy hat. Making paper hats is a party activity children enjoy, as the hats can be worn immediately. Durable paper hats can last through several weeks of pretend play. Kids look cute in hats, but the real fun starts when adults are encouraged to make crazy creations. Have a camera handy.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Masking tape
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Lay out three sheets of newspaper. Spread them out so all but 6 inches of each sheet overlap. Roll them into a cylinder or cone which will fit snugly around your head. Secure the cone by wrapping masking tape around it. This is the crown of your hat.

2. Shape your hat as desired. You can leave a cylinder straight for a tall top hat. Bend a cone into a zigzag for a spooky witch hat. To make a cowboy hat cut the crown down to 10 inches and fold the sides in. Tape the crease you made together on the inside.

3. Lay out three more sheets of newspaper on top of each other. Place the crown of your hat in the center of the paper and trace around it. Remove the crown and draw a smaller circle 1/4 inch in from this circle.

4. Cut an "X" in the center of the paper. The ends of the cut should just reach the inner circle. Make eight more cuts from the center of the paper to the inner circle to cut the center into wedges. This is the brim of your hat.

5. Push the crown of your hat through the circle and secure it by taping the wedges of the circle to the crown. Tape around the base of the crown and around the top of the cut out wedges. You now have a hat with a large, square, floppy brim.

6. Roll the brim of your hat in on all sides until you are pleased with the effect. If you want a small brim you may cut the brim before you roll it, but you must roll the brim to make it hold its shape. Hold the rolled brim together with strips of masking tape.

Tips & Warnings

• This craft uses lots of masking tape. Buy several rolls.

• You may spray paint the hat and add decorations such as ribbon, feathers and crazy foam shapes.

Resources

• Disney's Family Fun: Newspaper Hats for Kids