Tiny Hat Tutorial...A Finishing Touch for Your Little Doll

When I started my blog, I put this tutorial on my Tutorial page.  I have deleted that page, because it was not well thought out.  Now I have taken the pictures and placed them in a collage that you can download and use at your leisure.  If you ever need help with my tutorials, just ask.

The first thing that I do is select a color of fabric...I use silk, but cotton will be fine.   I soak the fabric in a solution of 50/50 tacky glue and water.  I let the fabric dry on a plate, so that it will be smooth.  The doll that I am using is 1 5/8 inches tall...so her head is tiny.
  Measure the circle for the brim of the hat, and cut a circle to the size you like.
Clip a tiny hole in the center of the hat and carefully cut a tiny circle out of the middle of the brim.
Measure the hole to the doll's head.
find a dowel--I used a paint brush--with the same diameter as doll's head.
 Place the brim onto the dowel.
cut a strip of fabric so that it is the desired height of  the tiny hat.
Wind the strip around the dowel, cut strip to fit and glue ends together.
when strip is dry, remove and apply glue to base of strip.
Put the glued strip back onto the dowel so that the glue adheres to the brim.
Let dry.
Cut a tiny circle so that it is the same size as the crown (glued strip).
Glue top to crown

The final hat will need decorations to cover up edges.  I use tiny ribbon to wrap around the crown. Sometimes I glue a piece of silk floss to go around the top of the brim...the little gold hat is a n example.  I use beads, silk ribbon roses and tiny feathers that I collected from a pet love bird..  These little hats really pull together a little doll's wardrobe.

Happy hat making, and have a wonderful week,