How to make an iPod hat

Need your hands free but still want your music?

This is how to build a stylish 'Castro Cap" with iPod Nano pouch.

Step 1 Supplies

What you need:

An old sweater, preferably sturdy materials ( I used a wool sweater)
A bright or fun colored material or old T-shirt
sewing machine
scissors
thick cardboard ( i used the back of my sketch book cover, you can also recycle a yogurt container )
reinforced tape ( duct tape, strapping tape, NOT SCOTCH )
measuring tape or ruler
iPod (this works best for smaller iPods like shuffle or nano, i havent figured out the 2G touch aesthetics ;op )

I started by building the beanie with a brim on Threadbangers
and then modified my patterns to include other styles of hats.

Comments

[cowscankill]

Good news! I made a hat :DDDD!!!! Word to the wise: Measure your head. 20 inches was not big enough for my head.

[Hatsumomo20]

Looks good dude!

[TheQuestioner868]

Um I know this is going to sound dumb, coming from a instructable site but could you make a video of making one?
That'd be VERY thankful.

[PSPerson]

i bought a nike running hat a while back that was very similar.... the only difference is the nike had built in headphones. not worth the $30 when i compare it to yours.

[jasten merrow]

i thank you highly for posting this item i have been having trouble whith the teachers at my school but since i made this everything is going to be alright

[vref_guy]

Yup, I'd agree the pretty freakin' awesome.

[plaidsocks]

I agree, why not just use velcro on any hat? my daughter has been doing that for a couple of years now, and as for the velcro leaving a hard to remove sticky residue? it's not that serious. a Q-Tip and a drop of alcohol gets off whatever stickyness is left, if any...That way it can be used with several different hats instead of just one style and it's a lot easier :)

[plaidsocks]

Last night I sat down and came up with a prototype of what I think is a more useful and versitile way to make an ipod holder to use on any hat, cap even on a bandana, without having to do all the extra sewing, it's quite a blessing in fact.

[MizzMouse]

i dont suppose you would be willing to collaborate or share your idea? perhaps post an instructable on your project?

[Chill Pill]

Velcro?

[MizzMouse]

it just seems to me that the ipod or mp3 player would be safer tucked away into a pocket. the design is still under construction. maybe there is a way to make the whole pocket removable

[teamcoltra]

 and also is less tacky (no offense to plaidsocks) I just can't see the velcroed on ipod looking good even if under the hat and even if in some custom "sleve"

I really like this

[Chill Pill]

You could build in a pair of earbuds with just the buds sticking out on either side so you dont have to worry about all the excess wire.

[ERCCRE123]

This is GENIUS!!! But one flaw is that you have to take the ipod out if you want to use the clickwheel

[MizzMouse]

yah, i know that sucks. i am trying to devise a way to add a clear piece of plastic to the outside of the pocket to keep the wheel available...

[ERCCRE123]

Why not just cut a hole? I think the clickwheel doesn't work when it is touched, but when there is an electrical connection with something conductive for the ipod nano 4th gen

[MizzMouse]

If the fabric is not a knit, that would work fine, but since I used a knit I would have needed to hem the edges of the hole to prevent fraying. I was thinking of sewing in something thin like one of those clear screen covers, it still conducts the electricity...

[sdrawkcabanna]

if you were to felt the wool sweater first  (can often be achieved by machine washing on hot/cold) the hem wouldn't be necessary

[ERCCRE123]

i think that the ipod will constantly think the clickwheel is being pessed if you do that unless you find a way to add a spacer between the ipod and hat

[ERCCRE123]

i forgot to add this, but i would think thin self-sticking foam sheets would be a good spacer (i don't know what they are called)

[MizzMouse]

since there is not contact to conduct the electricity (like your finger) it wont bother the iPod at all. try it with an eraser of a pencil, you will see what i mean and, yes perhaps there is room for a whole liner

[flyingfox567]

a even simpler way to fix this is to get those head phones that have a little clicky thingy on them (dont know what they're called, my mom has them) and it will let you change the song and even pause the music for you without you having to get the ipod out of your hat

[Alex Stadler]

I would seriously buy one of your hats from you. So cool.

[Th33w0krap15t]

If you want the bill to angle more horizontal than downward then make the curve more shallow, which makes the center wider.

[anjobanjster]

Great Instructable! but this particular step i find quite confusing.....

[MizzMouse]

Yes this is the most difficult part to explain. Basically inserting the liner into the hat band and sewing it to leave upenings for ear-buds and the actual pod pocket. If you can, try to follow the photos. If not, I will try to walk you through it...

[cowscankill]

I told a friend I would make this for them. I jsut realized the challenge that awaits me :o and I don't have the materials....

[MizzMouse]

Look around your house... You can use an old sweater, an old tee shirt, yogurt container, cardboard, tape... Improvise :0) the only thing hard to substitute is the sewing machine... Pm me, I might be able to send you the hat I made...

[cowscankill]

:O Really?! (going to pm now)

[audreycane]

how about using velcro on the ipod and on any hat?

[MizzMouse]

do you mean to secure the ipod? not sure that i would want to put velcro on the ipod, the sticky is sometimes hard to remove... I am currently working on a design that would complete the pocket with a window to use the clickwheel without taking the pod out of the pocket

[Asa J]

sweet. and definitely earphones in flaps, but if not at least someway to hide the flaps would be nice.

[Focker]

I like it, I can already see putting on earflaps with embedded headphones.

[spartana]

You could make your own hat with earflaps and line it to hide the wires or you could use an existing hat/ beanie but one of those with a lining, i have seen a woolen one with the earflaps with the little bobble on top, lined too.

Then carefully cut and sew deconstructed cheap over-the-head headphones (like in the iPillow) http://www.instructables.com/id/The-iPillow/
into the lining hiding the wires and leaving the jack hanging out. The ipod/mp3 could then also be tucked into an upright pocket on the earflap, between the wool and the lining in a self sewn in pocket with the top sticking out and the jack in the bottom of the pocket, or as in this instructable on the crown/brim(?) . Phew my brain is spinning.

I really want to try it too, and i've been wearing beanies most days now.

By the way this is absolutely brilliant! and making it yourself makes it even cooler!

[MizzMouse]

thank you! i am excited that my first Instructable was featured! Great ideas on the upright for the earflap!!

[MizzMouse]

Earflaps! yes, what a wonderful idea! If you build one, please post pics!!

[crampedyogapositions]

i like this thing...i think that the only thing that you need to work on is some sort of wire holding devise so that the wires to the headphones don't hang everywhere and get in the way

[MizzMouse]

I actually addressed that issue in step 8, creating the option to store the wire inside the liner, I will post some pics of this shortly to better illustrate and will perhaps add another pocket on the next hat to more easily store the wires. Thank you.