How to Make Couture Felt Hats
- 1). Run hot water from the faucet over the felt until it becomes completely saturated. Place the damp felt onto the hat block. With your steam gun, blow steam directly onto the felt. Pull the felt down over the hat block, stretching it on all sides so it starts to conform to the shape of the block. Use the steam gun several more times, pulling the material down afterward so that the felt takes on an increasingly round shape.
- 2). Take the block off of the stand with the felt still on it and turn it upside-down on a flat surface. Wrap and tuck the felt completely around the block and pin the tucks into place with straight pins. Once the felt has started to dry, cut off about 2 inches of excess felt at the bottom. Place the block back on its stand and let the felt continue to dry.
- 3). Pull the block off the stand again and draw a line all around the bottom edge of the felt. Remove the pins. Use a hairdryer to finish drying the felt if it isn‘t completely dry yet. Mix 1/2 cup of craft glue with an equal amount of water in a glass or ceramic bowl. Brush the glue mixture all over the inside of the rounded felt with your brush.
- 4). Place some plastic wrap over the block and tuck it securely underneath the block. Place the hat onto the plastic wrap and press down so that the plastic adheres completely to the hat. Once the felt has completely dried and stiffened, cut off the excess felt at the bottom of the hat, following the line you drew earlier.
- 5). Sew a length of wire onto the entire bottom edge of the hat using a blanket stitch. Pick up your black Merry Widow veiling (diamond-shaped veiling with black spots). Stitch it to the hat by placing a black spot directly onto the center of the outside of the hat and stitching it there. Pin the veil down over the hat with straight pins, placing the pins along the edge so that they are pointing toward the inner center of the hat.
- 6). Attach black grosgrain ribbon all around the edge of the hat by gluing or stitching it on. Using the straight pins, make two holes on either side of the hat, just under the ribbon, where you want to attach the hat elastic. Once the elastic is sewn on, the ribbon can be pulled up again and the hole will not be visible. Add a tuft of veiling or other ornament on top if you want and you‘re ready to wear your new pillbox hat.
