How to Make a Welders Cap

A traditional welding cap is typically made with flame-proof natural fibers and is designed to protect your head and hair from flames, sparks and ultraviolet radiation. All welding caps follow the same pattern regardless of how large or small it is. You can make your own welding cap out of lightweight denim. It is made up of six triangles that you sew together to create the dome shape. You can trace around a 7-inch iron's surface to create the six triangle templates. Simply adjust the height and width of the triangles depending on how large or small you want your welding cap to be.

Things You'll Need

• 7-inch iron
• Lightweight denim
• Paper
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• 1-1/2-inch seam tape

Instructions

The Dome

1. Place a 7-inch iron on top of a sheet of paper on your worktable. Trace around its outside edge with a pencil. Make a mark at the center of the triangle's straight edge, or bottom, on the template. Since 7-inch irons are 3-1/4 inches wide, you will make your mark at 1-5/8 inches.

2. Measure 1/4 inch down from the mark you made in Step 1. Bow the bottom edge from the corner to the mark, and then bring the bow back up to the opposite edge.

3. Measure 1/2 inch from either bowed side and make marks at these points. Measure 1/2 inch all around the original tracing and make marks at every inch and 1/2 inch from the top point. Connect the marks so you have the original triangle you traced in pencil and a larger triangle bordering it. Cut out the template.

4. Place the paper template over your lightweight denim and cut out six triangles.

5. Pin two denim triangles together along the long curved edge. Sew them together using a 1/2-inch seam. Pin and sew another denim triangle to the two you just sewed together. Iron the seams so they face away from the center triangle. Repeat this process for the remaining three denim triangles.

6. Continue working on the front of the denim so the seam is not visible. Sew a zigzag stitch along the finished seam. Repeat this process for the second set of three triangles so that you have a total of two zigzag seams. Pin the two sets of triangles together. The back side of the fabric must be facing out. Sew over the domed top edge using a 1/2-inch seam.

7. Iron both pieces of the seam to one side so they are neatly out of the way. Flip the hat over so the raw edges are not visible. Sew a zigzag stitch over the seams you just ironed so that the zigzag seam runs from the front of the welding cap to the back.

The Bill

1. Place the hat you just sewed on top of a sheet of paper so there are three triangles face-down on the surface and three triangles face up. Locate the front edge of the hat and place a mark on the paper 1/2 inch down from the front edge of the hat.

2. Trace the bottom contour of the hat from 1-1/2 inches back from the first triangle's seam to the 1/2-inch mark you made in Step 1. Put the hat aside. Extend the 1/2-inch mark you made in Step 1 so it measures a total of 3-1/4 inches. Draw a curved line from the bottom of the 3-1/4-inch mark to the end of the traced line. Cut out the bill template.

3. Fold the lightweight denim on your worktable. Place the bill template on the fold so that the straight line of the bill template is flush against the folded fabric. Pin the template to the fabric and cut the fabric for the bill. Cut out a second bill so you have a total of two bills.

4. Put the front sides of the fabric bill together and pin the outside edge. The outside edge is the curved part of the bill. Sew it together using a 1/2-inch seam. Trim off the curves on the seam and flip the fabric over so the seams are not visible. Iron everything so it remains in place.

5. Sew a zigzag stitch along the seam on the edge. Sew three more zigzag stitch lines for every 1/2 inch to make the bill sturdy. Do not add cardboard to the bill.

Putting the Cap Together

1. Flip the hat over so the raw edges are exposed. Fold a 3/8-inch hem along the hat's bottom raw edge and pin it down. Iron it in place with the pins still in the fabric.

2. Fold the bill in half and pin its raw edges to the bottom of the hat. Leave an allowance of 1/2 inch so that the bottom of the hat overlaps the bill.

3. Pin the 1-1/2-inch seam tape to the bottom edge of the hat so it covers the raw edges of the bill. The seam tape helps to absorb sweat along with finishing the hat. Sew a zigzag stitch along the top and bottom edges of the seam tape. Flip the hat so the front side of the fabric is visible and all the raw edges remain hidden. Clip any excess threads.

Tips & Warnings

• You need to feel comfortable with patternmaking and have advanced sewing skills.

References

• Working Person: Welding Caps
• Zigzag Stitch