Please welcome Christie Burnett of Childhood 101 to CraftBlog! In preparation for her daughter’s second birthday, Christie made an easy three point felt pirate hat and kindly shared the tutorial with us.  And in the tradition of all great pirates, this hat is unique… it’s pink!

What you’ll need

• About 1/2 metre felt (of course, it depends on the size of the head you are making it for!)
• Sewing machine or needle and thread for hand sewing
• Decorative touches – contrasting ribbon, felt and/or feathers

Full tutorial behind the jump >>

Let’s get started

1. Measure your child’s head.

a) You will need a measurement for the circumference of their head, sitting comfortably (loosely, not too tight) just above the ears.  Add two centimetres seam allowance.

b) To establish how deep the hat should be, also take a measurement from the top of their ears to just above the top of the head.  Add two centimetres seam allowance.

2.  Use these measurements to cut a strip of felt.  Sew the ends of the strip together, with a 1cm seam allowance.

3.  To form the top of the hat, you need to cut a circle from the felt, the circle should be the same size as your head circumference measurement plus seam allowance.

4. Pin the top of the hat to the sides and stitch into place.  Turn in the right way and try it on to ensure that it fits before proceeding.

5. To make the brim of the hat you will need to cut a large circle from the felt.  It doesn’t matter if your circle is too big, it can be trimmed to the right size towards the end.  This one measured 45cms to begin with but was later trimmed.

6. To cut an opening in the brim, you first need to measure the diameter of your hat by measuring straight across the top. Halve this measurement and subtract 4cms.  Now fold your  brim fabric  into quarters and cut a curve, using the measurement as a guide (see below).  It is better that this hole is on the small side, you can always enlarge it slightly if need be.

7. Pin the brim to the hat and sew together.

8. Optional – pin and sew a contrasting ribbon trim into place around the edge of the brim.  Be sure to stitch the trim to the underside of the brim.

9. Form the three peaks by manipulating the felt until you are happy with where they sit.  Pin into position and then hand sew into place.

10. Now it is time to add some decorative detailing to personalise your pirate hat.  You could hand sew a skull and crossbones cut from contrasting felt onto one of the three sides.  I decided to stay simple, hand stitching a blue feather into position.

And that’s it, me hearties! Now your little person is ready to sail the seven seas.

Thanks Christie! Check out Christie’s superbly awesome blog packed with other creative ideas for homemade fun, perfect fun for your little people!