Top of the mornin'

I've seen these little top hats in lots of Lolita style pictures. I started looking into them and decided I could probably make it. So first I started searching for tiny top hats that I could decorate I was able to find a few online that cost from $3-$4 each. Then I started looking around my apartment.
I realized a little while ago, I have enough stuff in my apt that I can start a brand new project without going to the store first. Back when I was working on my Esmeralda costume I needed coins for the skirt and found a pack of 35 foam circles for about $5-$6. For the coins in costume I only used about 3 circles, so they came in handy when I wanted to make jewelry for my Shion costume. That only took one circle. I have used a few more but still have plenty left. The foam is stiff enough that it will hold it's own shape so I figure perfect for the top hat.

I started by trying to make the entire hat out of two circles. I cut two concentric circles one for the brim of the hat and one for the top of the hat. I tried to use the second circle for the mid section but it wasn't long enough. So another trip to walmart for rectangles of foam for $4. These happened to be the peal and stick kind which wasn't what I intended but all I could find.

So I tried again cutting another two concentric circles, and a two inch wide strip for the mid part. I placed the mid strip on the inside of the brim and used the hot glue gun to secure it.

Having the midsection be slightly sticky was useful for keeping it in place long enough for the hot glue to try. I glued the midsection to the brim then glued the two sides of the midsection together to form a circle.

Next I glued the top to the top of the rest of the hat. In order to be able to later peal away the paper to use the sticky side I used scissors to cut a small strip of the paper from the top. Then I placed a small layer of hot glue and placed the top over it. Since it isn't a perfect circle (I should get a compass like from middle school) I needed to add glue to the sections that weren't aligned well.


After all the glue dried I went back into the craft room and found some black fabric. I cut a small square to first cover the top. I used a thin layer of hot glue to secure the fabric. Then I cut a rectangle for the mid section. I pealed away the sticky section and attached the black fabric around using the hot glue to just attach the two ends of the fabric together. Next I cut out a square of fabric for the brim. I folded it in quarters and cut a small section out of the center. Since the fabric was stretchy I was able to stretch it around the hat and use the hot glue to attach the fabric to the brim.
I then used the glue to attach the fabric to the underside of the brim. After some systematic tugging I was able to get the fabric evenly stretched around the hat. Next time I make it I will do the brim and top first and then attach the midsection fabric to make it more seamless.

I took two tiny scraps of fabric and glued it to the underside of the had in order to hold the clip to keep the hat in my hair. Each rectangle of fabric was glued on each end leaving the middle free.

Now I can insert the clip and attach it to my hair.

The next thing to do will be to decorate the hat. I'm not exactly sure how to start decorating so I will need to do some Internet investigating for ideas as well as look into what I already have lying around. As of now I'm debating just using a little bit of white ribbon around the hat where the mid section attaches to the brim and leaving it at that.