Introduction: Easy Peasy Visor
If you're like me and hate buying accessories for yourself because they never exactly fit what you want this Instructable may be for you. I've decided that I would try to avoid hat hair, but by doing so this leaves me unprotected from the hot summer sun. Therefore I've made this visor for myself to combat sunburn. This probably took me less than an hour and anyone with proficient sewing skills will do great! It's great with a pair of bright sunglasses.
Step 1: Materials
All these materials I had in my house, you really don't need much fabric for this:
-Desired fabric for outside (I think that cotton would be the best here because it would be the most comfortable. If you want to use mesh you might be able to see the cardboard underneath.)
-Stabilizer/Interfacing (I used stabilizer but if you do decide to use interfacing do not use the fusible kind, or sew it in.)
- One paperboard cardboard box (Cereal boxes work best but I used a graham cracker box, size is important.)
-One baseball cap
-One piece of elastic, about 7 inches
-Stapler
-Scissors
-Fabric chalk (you can use a fabric pen or even a normal pen)
-Marker/Sharpie/Pencil (may be same as above if you used a pen)
-Ruler
-Desired fabric for outside (I think that cotton would be the best here because it would be the most comfortable. If you want to use mesh you might be able to see the cardboard underneath.)
-Stabilizer/Interfacing (I used stabilizer but if you do decide to use interfacing do not use the fusible kind, or sew it in.)
- One paperboard cardboard box (Cereal boxes work best but I used a graham cracker box, size is important.)
-One baseball cap
-One piece of elastic, about 7 inches
-Stapler
-Scissors
-Fabric chalk (you can use a fabric pen or even a normal pen)
-Marker/Sharpie/Pencil (may be same as above if you used a pen)
-Ruler
Step 2: Cutting Everything Out for the Bill
Its pretty much the same pattern for every thing.
1. Take your baseball cap and place the stabilizer under the baseball cap so that it bends as the cap does.
2. Take your chalk/pen and trace the bill of the baseball cap onto the stabilizer. Now take the stabilizer and place on top of bill so that the edge that you just drew matches the real one.
3. Now trace the back of the bill (the part that touches the rest of the cap) onto the stabilizer.
4. Cut the panels of your paperboard box out, just go along the edges.
5. Cut out this shape and trace it onto another piece of stabilizer, the two large panels of the paperbox, and twice on your piece of fabric.
6. Cut out the patterns of the other piece of stabilizer, and the two paperboard panels.
7. Cut out the patterns on the piece of fabric, however you should cut outside the edge of it by 1/4 of an inch for seam allowance. If you want to decorate it now would be the time, keep in mind that you're going to be sewing wrong side.
1. Take your baseball cap and place the stabilizer under the baseball cap so that it bends as the cap does.
2. Take your chalk/pen and trace the bill of the baseball cap onto the stabilizer. Now take the stabilizer and place on top of bill so that the edge that you just drew matches the real one.
3. Now trace the back of the bill (the part that touches the rest of the cap) onto the stabilizer.
4. Cut the panels of your paperboard box out, just go along the edges.
5. Cut out this shape and trace it onto another piece of stabilizer, the two large panels of the paperbox, and twice on your piece of fabric.
6. Cut out the patterns of the other piece of stabilizer, and the two paperboard panels.
7. Cut out the patterns on the piece of fabric, however you should cut outside the edge of it by 1/4 of an inch for seam allowance. If you want to decorate it now would be the time, keep in mind that you're going to be sewing wrong side.
Step 3: Piecing It Together
The only tricky part is at the end.
1. Sew the two pieces of fabric from one side to the other on the bottom part wrongside. Make sure that your pieces of paperboard can fit through into the little pouch.
2. Then flip your newly sewed fabric inside out so that its rightside.
3. Now make a stabilizer sandwich so that the pieces of paperboard are between the stabilizer pieces. Note I put the slippery sides so that they were facing outward just so that the paperboard would be more resistant to water damage.
4. Line up the edges and staple it a few times so that it does move, make sure that the staples aren't right on the edge, but rather more towards the center.
5. Insert this into that little pouch that you made, you may want to trim the edges in the pouch so that it can fit.
6. Now ideally it will fit and will be tight enough that it bends on its own a little bit, if this doesn't happen that is okay.
7. Here's the hard part, take the edges without the seam and fold them into the sandwich. So that the bottom part goes right between the first layer and the second layer in the sandwich (it should cover the second-fourth layers) and the top part goes over the first layer. If seems unappealing to you, then you can just so the open ends of the pouch and the sandwich together (just make sure the edges line up).
Everything else is a easy as pie...3.141592......
1. Sew the two pieces of fabric from one side to the other on the bottom part wrongside. Make sure that your pieces of paperboard can fit through into the little pouch.
2. Then flip your newly sewed fabric inside out so that its rightside.
3. Now make a stabilizer sandwich so that the pieces of paperboard are between the stabilizer pieces. Note I put the slippery sides so that they were facing outward just so that the paperboard would be more resistant to water damage.
4. Line up the edges and staple it a few times so that it does move, make sure that the staples aren't right on the edge, but rather more towards the center.
5. Insert this into that little pouch that you made, you may want to trim the edges in the pouch so that it can fit.
6. Now ideally it will fit and will be tight enough that it bends on its own a little bit, if this doesn't happen that is okay.
7. Here's the hard part, take the edges without the seam and fold them into the sandwich. So that the bottom part goes right between the first layer and the second layer in the sandwich (it should cover the second-fourth layers) and the top part goes over the first layer. If seems unappealing to you, then you can just so the open ends of the pouch and the sandwich together (just make sure the edges line up).
Everything else is a easy as pie...3.141592......
Step 4: The Band
This part takes about five seconds.
1. Take one of the leftover panels, it generally says all the nutritional content and should be much skinnier than the ones previously used. Measure two inches from the bottom (this can differ for everyone but I like a 2 inch brim) and draw a line and cut along the line.
2. You can cut off the parts that have been creased if it's too long, if not then make sure to staple the creased parts so that the staple is perpendicular with the crease (this will give it stability).
3. Now measure out a piece of stabilizer the same size and cut it out. Also measure out a piece of fabric that is twice the height and the same length, cut this out but leave space for hemming.
4. If you want to decorate the brim now would be the time, however keep in mind that when you sew the outside fabric that it will be sewn onto the middle of the paperboard and stabilizer.
5. Place the paperboard with the stabilizer in the middle of the wrong side of your fabric.
6. Fold the fabric over the edges so that each side of the fabric is cover half the paperboard and stabilizer.
7. Sew the two edges of the fabric together, so that they meet right in the middle.
Almost there.
1. Take one of the leftover panels, it generally says all the nutritional content and should be much skinnier than the ones previously used. Measure two inches from the bottom (this can differ for everyone but I like a 2 inch brim) and draw a line and cut along the line.
2. You can cut off the parts that have been creased if it's too long, if not then make sure to staple the creased parts so that the staple is perpendicular with the crease (this will give it stability).
3. Now measure out a piece of stabilizer the same size and cut it out. Also measure out a piece of fabric that is twice the height and the same length, cut this out but leave space for hemming.
4. If you want to decorate the brim now would be the time, however keep in mind that when you sew the outside fabric that it will be sewn onto the middle of the paperboard and stabilizer.
5. Place the paperboard with the stabilizer in the middle of the wrong side of your fabric.
6. Fold the fabric over the edges so that each side of the fabric is cover half the paperboard and stabilizer.
7. Sew the two edges of the fabric together, so that they meet right in the middle.
Almost there.
Step 5: The Finale
So close.
1. First place the band behind the bill and slightly under it. Make sure that the band fits the curve of the bill.
2. If possible remove the compartment on your sewing machine in front of your feeder, on my I store extra parts there. This is just make sewing it easier.
3. It's not as hard as it would seem, just sew the two edges together so that it just barely overlaps. Note that the band should be around a 120 degree angle. It would be wise to use a cross stich for this section.
4. After it's all connected just put in the elastic at the edges of the band and voila your done!
5. In case you don't like seeing the elastic (I didn't mind) you can sew a piece of fabric so that it covers the elastic. Or you can scrap the elastic and use fabric and a buckle.
Have fun avoiding the sun!
1. First place the band behind the bill and slightly under it. Make sure that the band fits the curve of the bill.
2. If possible remove the compartment on your sewing machine in front of your feeder, on my I store extra parts there. This is just make sewing it easier.
3. It's not as hard as it would seem, just sew the two edges together so that it just barely overlaps. Note that the band should be around a 120 degree angle. It would be wise to use a cross stich for this section.
4. After it's all connected just put in the elastic at the edges of the band and voila your done!
5. In case you don't like seeing the elastic (I didn't mind) you can sew a piece of fabric so that it covers the elastic. Or you can scrap the elastic and use fabric and a buckle.
Have fun avoiding the sun!