This is a project I did for my niece's birthday pictures. I had only planned on just the one hat, but had enough material left over to make a few more. When looking for some props on Etsy I ran across these hats and many were selling for $16.50+. I figured they can't be that hard to make. The total cost of the project materials (sans glue) = $10.58 for 8 hats.
What you will need:
12" cut of fabric from a bolt - (price varies) $1.63 is what my fabric cost
Feather boa (mine was 6 ft.) - $3.99
Self adhesive gemstone letter (could use iron on) - $1.99
Spool of ribbon - $1.97
Pack of 8 party hats - $1 (Dollar Tree)
Glue gun & glue sticks
Can of spray adhesive
You can purchase your items at stores such as Hobby Lobby, JoAnn (gag), and Wal-Mart. I recommend Hobby Lobby.
Step 1: Take a party hat, and open it flat. In my case the colored balloons showed through the fabric so I used the inside which was a plain cardboard color. I switched the string used to hold the hat on your head to the other side as well.
Step 2: Iron your fabric and lay the side you want showing on your hats face down. Take spray adhesive and spray the outside side of the hat and press on to your fabric. Let the glue dry for a few minutes.
Tip: wear laytex gloves, the glue gets all over your hands pretty quick.
Step 3: Cut out your hats. If you are using a monogram, now is the time to adhere it to your hat.
Step 4: Adhere the ribbon and/or boa with hot glue. There was a slight ripple with my ribbon, but I liked the look. I placed dots of glue every few inches. In this case I placed the glue on each brown diamond and on each end of the hat. Your should place your glue dab near the bottom edge. Be sure that your ribbon does not come above the bottom of your hat.
Step 5: Fold the hat back into shape.
Step 6: Glue the hat into place. I started with a dot up at the top and worked my way down. Be sure to put glue at the edge of the ribbon to keep it from fraying.
Step 7: Cut a piece about an inch to an inch and a half from your boa. Place a dab of glue on the top of the hat and put the pom into place.
Step 8: Have a fun party!
There are plenty of ways to adapt this how-to to your needs with different materials. Be creative and have fun with it!
Total project time:
1-2 hours.
