How to Make a Baby Cowgirl (or Cowboy) Hat

Even though Olivia has spent all 5 months of her life living in a beach city, both of her parents are from the country. So, we had to take her “back to her roots” for her first Halloween. Plus, a baby in a cowgirl outfit is just too cute. This post tells you how to make a cowgirl hat like the one Olivia is wearing.You can make it by hand, or use the machine.  I made the first one (pink) entirely by hand, then used the machine for the second one (purple). I’ll give instructions for both.

 

Materials:

• 3 pieces felt: 2 main color (brown), 1 accent color (purple)
• yarn: main color (brown) for ties, accent color (purple) for stitching
• yarn needle
• 3 pipe cleaners

 

Step 1: Download & Print Pattern

• Cowgirl_Hat_Pattern_1of2

• Cowgirl_Hat_Pattern_2of2

Step 2: Cut pattern

Print & cut out paper patterns. NOTE: The top center piece might need to be a little bit longer than it prints. I suggest making it as long as your felt piece is, then cutting off the excess when you’re done stitching.

Don’t cut the inner angle of the brim piece yet.

Step 3: cut felt pieces

• Top Front

Cut 2 “Top Front” pieces from main color (brown)

• Top Center

Cut 1″Top Center” piece from main color (brown)

NOTE: The top center piece might need to be a little bit longer than it prints. I suggest making it as long as your felt piece is, then cutting off the excess when you’re done stitching.

• Brim

Cut 1 “Brim Corner” piece from main color (brown) and one from accent color (purple)

• Fold felt for brim into quarters.

• Place “Brim Corner” pattern on folded felt & cut around edges.  I left the corner on the brim pattern to make it easy to line up on the felt. After cutting the outer edge of the felt, I cut the rest of the paper pattern. Do this with main color & accent color

• Star

Cut star out of accent color. I cut it with a little extra room around the paper pattern.

Step 4: Sew on Star

Machine stitch or use yarn to place star in center of one top front piece. You’ll probably notice that I didn’t do this until later in the process, but it’s easier and makes more sense to do this first. These are the things I realize after I’ve already taken pictures of myself doing it differently. : )

This is how it looks when you stitch it on with yarn instead of machine stitching.

Step 5: sew top

Machine or hand stitch long side of “Top Center” piece along each “Top Front” piece.

You can turn it inside out when you’re finished, or leave the raw edges on the outside. When I hand stitched it, I turned it inside out & ironed it with the flat iron I use for my hair. : )

When I machine stitched it, I liked it better with the seam on the outside.

Step 6: sew brim

Optional: Machine stitch outside edge of brim pieces together.

I didn’t do this on the first hat, and it looked fine. But, over time and with much manipulation, the pipe cleaners that make the brim bend started to show. Machine stitching the pieces together before inserting the pipe cleaners should keep this from happening.

Twist ends of pipe cleaners together & place between brim pieces, snugly against the edge.

 

Optional: You can machine stitch around the inside of the pipe cleaners as well. I used the zipper foot for this.

Then, use accent yarn color to stitch pipe cleaners in place. (I started this step with purple yarn, but I decided that it was too light compared to the dark brown, so I took it out and switched colors.

Optional: Machine stitch around inside edge of brim pieces.

Step 7: attach top to brim

Place the top piece of the hat on the center of the brim. Use the yarn to stitch it in place.

Step 8: Necktie

Braid some yarn into a long necktie and insert between stitches on each side of the hat.

Step 8: Add Baby

Put the hat on a cute baby and take some pictures!

 

 

To make the outfit complete, follow these links:

• Crochet Baby Cowboy Bootie YouTube Tutorial

• Crochet Baby Cowboy Bootie Written Pattern

• Crochet Hobby Horse Pattern

• I also used hot glue and iron-on transfer paper to attach a handkerchief to a bib…no link for that one. I figure it’s simple enough to figure out, right? ; )