Step 1: Materials

To make a ninja turtle hat, you will need:
_ Green Fleece
_Red Fleece (Blue, purple or orange will also work)
_White Fleece (just for the eyes)
_Thread
_Pins
_Measuring tape
_Pencil
_Paper
_Sewing machine

Step 2: Cutting Out Your Hat Pieces

There are five parts to cutting this hat; the top, the brim, the mask, the braids and the eyes. We'll start with the Top:

Top: Sketch a curved triangle on a piece of paper. I made mine 6 ½ inches long and 6 inches tall. Fold it in half if you need too, to make it symmetrical. Once you are happy with your pattern, pin it to your dark green fleece and cut four pieces out.

Brim: The brim is tricky to get right. To get the basic size, you can cut a square from scrap fabric, 12 inches long and at least 6 inches wide in the middle. Cut it so its about 2 ½ inches on a longer end, and 3 ½ inches at the other. Size it up to your head and adjust it to how you want it. Once you get earflaps you like, trace it on to paper so you can use it for other hats and cut out four brim pieces.

Mask: The mask is just a piece of red fleece about 18 inches long and about 2 inches wide. The edges on the mask are raw, so you should make sure to cut it out really neatly.

Braids: Cut out long strips of fleece, four green and two red. They should be about ¾ wide and no shorter than 12 inches long.

Eyes: Just cut out almond shaped pieces from white fleece scraps.

Step 3: Sewing Top

Take two triangle pieces and put them right sides together. Sew along one side. Do the same on the other two.

Next, pin the two pieces together, in side out, so that the seam on the top meets the other. Sew along the top. (Like a rainbow. See picture 4).

Turn right side out.

Step 4: Sewing the Braids

Take the braid pieces, and arrange them so that the one red piece is between the greens.
Pin the knotted end somewhere. I like to pin it to my jeans, but where ever you can easily braid and pull on it and it will stay works. =)
Braid as far as you can.
Next, sew the very end of the braid so that t won't come undone.

Step 5: Sewing the Brim

Take two of your brim pieces, and turn them inside out. Sew both short ends together, so that you would have the inside of a brim. Turn it right side out.
Do the same on the other two pieces, but leave it inside out.

Put the inside-out brim over the right-side-out one. Make sure that the seams match up and then pin them there. Sew all along the bottom, when you come to the ear-flaps, insert the braid so that you will be sewing over the end of the braid. (Not the one with the knot).

Sew all the way around the bottom of the brim. Before turning right-side out, trim your extra seam allowance off and cut notches around the curves. (picture 6) This will help it be more round.

Step 6: Attaching the Brim to the Top

With the top upside down, put it inside the right side up brim. It should look like you have a green bowl with a brim around it. Pin the seams together at the front and in the back. Then pin the side seams and between all of the other seams. Sew along the edge.

Turn it right side out. You may need to iron it to get it nice and flat.

Yay! You now have a green hat that you are about to make into a Ninja turtle! :D

Step 7: Putting on the Mask

Place the eyes on the mask, I put the mask on the hat so I could get the correct place. Remember that the knot should be on the side!

Sew on the eyes. Remember to change the thread to white!

Once you have the eyes sewn on, trim the mask a little so it get's smaller between the eyes and smaller at the back.

Next, pin the mask onto the hat. Make sure your eyes are centered. Pin all the way around, there will be extra mask cloth at the end, but don't worry about that yet.

Starting at where the extra cloth is, sew all the way around the mask along the bottom. Sew the top just like you did on the bottom.

Step 8: Tieing the Knot

Take the two pieces from the mask that aren't sewn on, and tie a knot. You should be able to do just a normal knot, but you can experiment to see what looks best.

Sew over the knot, you can unfold a little crease so that your sewing will be hidden. You just need the knot to stay there.