How to Make a Felt Scarecrow Hat

Your finished hat can adorn a decorative scarecrow or be part of a festive costume.

Whether creating a costume for yourself or your child or adorning a decorative fall scarecrow, a scarecrow's hat, tattered with bits of hay sticking out, adds special flair. For a custom touch, design your own scarecrow hat using ordinary, inexpensive felt. Using felt allows you to add as many colors of hay as you want and the hat will stand or flop anyway you desire, with stiffer felt making a stiffer hat. Sewing your own felt scarecrow hat is simple to do.

Things You'll Need

• Half a yard of felt in desired stiffness
• Scraps of felt in yellow, orange, or both
• Paper (optional)
• Pencil or fabric pen
• Scissors
• Thread
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. Draw the pieces for your hat on the felt. You need two large crescent pieces to make the brim; these pieces should be at least two inches wide. You will also need to fold the fabric over and cut a triangle with the fold forming one side. This triangle will form the main part or crown of the hat, with its point forming the top and the bottom forming the base of the hat. The bottom, shorter side of the triangle (the base) should be slightly curved. When unfolded, the triangle should match the length of the inside of both brim pieces. For a more precise measurement, draw a paper pattern first before cutting the felt; however, any gaps can be covered later with the "straw" pieces.

2. Cut out the fabric.

3. Open the triangular piece and fold it it the opposite way, forming another triangle with the insides of the felt facing each other. Sew the open side of the triangle shut. Trim any excess.

4. Pin the brim pieces to each other with right sides matching. Sew them together.

5. Turn the brim so the wrong side is facing out. Pin the right side of the brim to the right side of the base of the triangular piece. Stitch the brim and triangular piece together.

6. Turn the completed hat right side out. If desired, fold the point at the top of the triangle downward and stitch in place.

7. Cut scraps into thin rectangles. Hand sew to the brim of hat to look like straw sticking out from the hat. If desired, cut the edges of the hat to look more ragged.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also trim the hat with leaves or actual hay. Use a glue gun or stapler to attach.

References

• Craftown: Halloween Crafts: Scarecrow Hat
• Antipope: Witch's Hat Pattern