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Sew a Pixie Hat/Bonnet for Winter!

December 8, 2015 - By Crystal 10 Comments

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! It’s Crystal here, from Stitched by Crystal. Today I have a tutorial to share with you that is both adorable and practical for cold winter months…an easy tutorial to sew a pixie hat! I love pixie hats! And this cute elfish bonnet is just perfect for the holiday season, and the rest of the winter months. It will keep little heads warm and looking adorable. I know Christmas is just around the corner, but this hat sews up so quick you can crank out a few of them before it’s here!

Sew a Pixie Hat/Bonnet....so simple to make and cute for winter! | via Make It and Love It

This pixie hat is so easy, you can tackle it even if you are very new to sewing, just a couple straight seams and a hem! And I will show you how to measure and sew a pixie hat for any size head. I think it looks especially adorable on little heads!

The pointed cap is a bit whimsical and fun for winter, but the lined hat keeps little heads and ears nice and warm so it is really practical too. The pixie hat has a ribbon closure that can be tied in a sweet little bow at the chin.

Or it can be worn untied as well if your little one prefers it that way.

Want to sew up a pixie hat? Grab some fabric and ribbon and let me show you how!

To make this bonnet, you will need….

1/3 yard fabric for the outside of the hat and 1/3 yard fabric for the lining. Choose something warm for the lining for a winter hat. I used a corduroy for the outside and fleece for the lining.
1.5 yards ribbon
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.

Start by measuring your child’s head. Measure from one shoulder over the top of the head to the other shoulder, then take that measurement and add 4″ to it to get the length you will need to cut your fabric. Then measure from one temple around the back of the head to the other temple, add 4″ to that number then divide the sum by 2 to get the width you will need to cut your fabric. You can refer to the diagram below for measuring. Cut rectangles using those numbers from both your outer and lining fabric.

For example, my daughter’s shoulder to shoulder measurement is 20″ and her temple to temple measurement is 14″. I cut my lining and main fabric into rectangles that measure 24″ long (20″ + 4″) by 9″ wide (14″ + 4″ = 18″ then 18″/2). (For reference, my daughter is a 3 year old with a fairly large head)

Fold your outer fabric rectangle in half right sides together, lining up the short edges, and sew along one side with a 1/2″ seam allowance. This will create the back seam of the hat.

Clip the corner of the seam allowance at and angle, this way your pixie will have a nice crisp point when turned right side out.

Repeat the last 2 steps with your lining fabric. Turn your hat lining right side out and place it inside your outer hat so the right side of your lining is against the right side of the main hat. Line up the front edges of the hat and lining. Sew the hat and lining together along the front edge with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Turn the hat right side out through the opening in the bottom. Tuck the lining inside the main hat, press and top-stitch along the front edge of the hat.

Line up the back seam of the hat and the lining and baste along the bottom edge. I chose to serge the edge, but the edge will be hidden so it is not necessary.

Fold the bottom edge of the hat 1/2″ towards the lining side, then another 1″ towards the lining side, sew along the folded edge to create a casing for the ribbon.

String your ribbon through the casing at the bottom of the hat. Pull the ribbon a bit to gather the bottom of the hat until it is about 2/3 the original width. Top-stitch along the front edge of the casing on both sides to keep the ribbon in place. Trim the ribbon to your desired length then use a lighter to heat seal the ends of the ribbon so they don’t fray with wear.