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DIY Fabric Top Hat…with free pattern

Today’s contributor is Crystal from Stitched By Crystal. All posts written by Crystal for Make It and Love It can be found HERE.

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Hello Make it & Love it readers! Crystal here, from Stitched by Crystal, with a fun St. Patrick’s day accessory…an easy leprechaun hat!  This DIY top hat is so easy to make, you can whip up a few before St. Paddy’s days rolls around next week!

DIY Fabric Top Hat...with free pattern | via Make It and Love It
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Are you still looking for the perfect green ‘something’ to wear next week so you don’t get pinched?  This felt hat can be made in three different sizes:  size small fits up to 20” heads (it is a perfect fit for my 3 year old), the medium is good for 21” heads (like my 5 year old’s larger than average head) and the size large will fit up to 22” so teens and adults can fit in that one!

DIY Fabric Top Hat...with free pattern | via Make It and Love It
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Do your kids love dress up?  Mine do! And they are loving this big green top hat!  It will be the perfect accent to their green outfits for St. Patrick’s day, and I know it will continue to get tons of use all year in our costume box!

Plus, this pattern works for all your top hat needs just by changing up the color!  Looking for pilgrim hats at Thanksgiving? Need an Abe Lincoln hat for the school play? Dressing up as the Mad Hatter this Halloween?  Or does your snowman needs a top hat next winter?

DIY Fabric Top Hat...with free pattern | via Make It and Love It
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Want to make a big green top hat? Great! Let me show you how!

You will need…

  • ½ yard of green felt
  • 1/8 yard of black felt
  • Small scrap of yellow felt
  • Top hat pattern you can find and print HERE
  • Basic sewing supplies (here’s a list of common sewing supplies, in case you need a few ideas) 

***As always, if you need a bit of help with the basic sewing skills used in this tutorial, don’t hesitate to check out the Sewing 101 post for more help.

 

Print the pattern and use the pieces to cut out your felt for the top and brim of the hat.  The pattern pieces have two fold lines (so I could squeeze them in on one sheet of paper), you can either fold your felt twice and align both fold lines on a fold before cutting OR you may find it easier to print the pattern twice and tape to identical pieces together as shown below, then you only have to worry about one fold.  You will need one top piece and 2 brims.

tutorial1
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You also need a rectangular piece of green felt, a black belt, and a yellow buckle piece.  Use the chart below for cutting dimensions for those pieces.

 

 

Hat Sides (green felt)Belt (black felt)Buckle (yellow felt)
Small6” x 21”1.5” x 21”2.5” x 3”
Medium6” x 22”1.5” x 22”
Large6” x 23”1.5” x 23”

 

 

Prepare the belt and buckle by cutting two 1.5” slits in the buckle as shown below.  You can curve the corners of the buckle like I did, or leave them square if you like that look.

tut2
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Place the belt through the slits cut in the buckle and position the buckle in the middle of the belt.  Place the belt about 1” from the bottom of the green rectangle and baste it in place at the ends of the belt.

tut3
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Fold the hat right sides together and sew up the short sides of the hat with a ½” seam allowance.

tut-1
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Pin the top of the hat in place and sew it on the hat with a ½” seam allowance.

tut-2
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Place your 2 brim pieces right sides together and sew all the way around the outside of the brim with a ½” seam allowance.  Then trim the seam allowance to ¼” and flip the hat brim right side out.  Top stitch around the outside edge.

tut1
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Turn the hat top right side out.  Pin the brim to the right side of the hat and sew it with a ½” seam allowance.

tut4
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tut-3
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All done!

DIY Fabric Top Hat...with free pattern | via Make It and Love It
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Want to try a mini top hat headband?  Check out the tutorial on my blog today to shrink this top hat pattern!

DIY Fabric Top Hat...with free pattern | via Make It and Love It
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Need the perfect skirt to pair with your new top hat for St Pat’s?  How about this rainbow trim skirt?

Rainbow Bias Tape Skirt (makeit-loveit.com)
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Thanks for reading!

-Crystal

blog-contributor
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Check out Crystal’s blog here.  Her darling shop here.  Follow her on Instagram here.  And her Pinterest page here.

 

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Any excuse to do a little something special is a good one! Check out more of our favorite ideas for St. Patrick’s Day!

Easy Shamrock Leggings Tutorial

30+ St. Patrick’s Day Food and Dessert Ideas

20 DIY St. Patrick’s Decor Ideas

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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