Recycled Pie Plate Burlesque-Style Halloween Hat

I decided I needed a fabulous hat to top off my costume last year...and of course, I wanted to make it myself. I've been challenging myself to use supplies that I already have on hand so I went digging and pulled out an old aluminum pie plate to use for my base. (A recycled cereal box or large plastic lid would have worked just as well.) The hat came together so quickly and turned out so well that I want to share the how-to...there are a lot of steps, but it's really very easy and only took about an hour. Ready to make a hat?? Gather your supplies...

SUPPLIES:

*aluminum pie plate (or recycled cardboard box)

*scissors

*stapler

*spray adhesive (or glue stick, craft glue or whatever you have)

*(2) 8-10" squares of velvet (or other heavy fabric)

*various embellishments: ribbon, tulle, feathers, etc.

*glue gun (optional)

Step 1: Make Your Hat Base

First, cut the flat bottom out of your pie plate. If you are using cardboard, make or trace a circle approx. 6" in diameter. Then cut a straight line from the edge of the circle to the center. Finally, overlap the two edges you just cut to create a shallow cone shape. (You probably only need to overlap about an inch or less.) Staple the pieces together when you are happy with the shape.

Step 2: Cover Your Hat Base

First, cover the outside of your hat with spray adhesive. (I just plopped my hat down in the grass and hit it with a light spray.) Then smooth one of your squares of fabric over the hat, creating a small tuck or pleat at the point in the hat where the seam is stapled together. Trim the fabric all the way around leaving 1/4" to tuck under. Next, snip the fabric every 1/2" or so just from the edge of the fabric to the edge of the hat creating little "tabs"...this will allow the fabric to lie smoothly when you fold it under. It should already be a little sticky, so fold each "tab" over the edge, smoothing as you go. Add a bit more glue as needed. Finally, spray the inside of your hat with a bit of spray adhesive. (For this, I just stepped outside, held the hat in my hand and gave a quick burst of spray...you don't need much.) Drape the second piece of fabric over the inside of the hat. It does not need to get pushed all the way up into the hat...just drape it in there and smooth it out around the edges, covering the fabric edge you previously folded under. When you are done, trim around the edge to make the fabric even with the inside edge of the hat.

Step 3: Decorate Your Hat

You can bling this baby up however you like, but here are a few ideas based on how I did mine...gather loops of tulle, secure loops with wire...hot glue tulle to hat, covering seam...press until set. Tuck in embellishments...I used a trimming from the pie plate that I curled and slipped under the wire...I also added a few feathers later.