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Straw Hat  

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Hat  Instructions

The hat straw has a string running down each side of it. When gently pulled it will help you caress your hat into shape. This string has a different texture then the hat straw.  Your coil should look like this.  If it has a rick rack look you pulled the wrong string.   

A hat has three sections: the crown, center section and brim.

 Creating the Crown Section:

1. Take the coiled end of your straw and fold it over on itself forming a tiny closed circle glue it onto itself. Run a thin line of glue along the edge of the tiny circle and continue wrapping/ gluing until you have a crown about the size of the inner circle of the pattern chart provided. (about 3 loops around) You will need to pinch the straw to flatten it as you turn it to keep your crown fairly flat. Cut the straw off at an angle and blend the end into the circle.

2. To form the Rise .  Cut a piece of straw about 3” in length
3. Wrap the straw around your finger to form a circle. This circle should be about the same size as you crown you just made.   Overlap the ends and glue together.  Glue this rise to the under side of your crown and let dry.  Do 1 or 2 loops depending on how tall you would like your hat.  Your hat should now look like a pill box hat.

     Creating the Brim:

4. Using the size template, decide on the approx. size of the brim that you desire.
5. Pull a side thread on the straw and begin to coil your straw, pull it enough to create as many round coils for the size of the brim you want. Take the end that you started with and allowing for a “air” circle in the middle (slightly smaller then your crown) overlap it and glue down over a section a little ways down. (See photo of red brim)
6. Just as you did with the crown, run a thin line of glue along  edge of your coils and glue together, pinching as you go. When your happy with the size cut your straw at an angle and blend/glue it into the circle.

Assembling your Hat:

7. Run a line of glue along the bottom edge of the crown/ rise section and  set it on the top side of your  brim , positioning it over the “air” hole To shape your hat ,  pin the hat onto a small Styrofoam ball attached to a toothpick. If you desire a sweeping “swoosh” in the front or a fold in the back, go ahead and pin that “swoosh” into place. Because the glue is still damp, your pinned tucks will hold their shape when dry.

Decorating a Feathered Hat

1. With your completed hat still on the Styrofoam ball with a toothpick handle. pin the hat in place with the front facing you. You are going to be gluing directly onto the hat, so make sure that your pins are not where you will be placing decoration/glue.

2. Run a ribbon band around the rise section of the hat before decorating.

Curl your feathers by taking a pair of scissors and "shear" them along the back side. This is the same technique you use at Christmas time to curl ribbon. Cut the feathers to the height you desire for your hat (cutting off the bases not the plumed tops).

3. Using tweezers, dip the new base of the fluffy feather in tacky glue and then place it on your hat in the desired position. Press down slightly on the feather base with your finger to make sure the glue is adhered to the hat form.  Tame your feathers by using a small amount of glue on your fingers and gently smooth some of the fly away feathers around the sides of the hat.  Now glue a decorative curled feather over the fluffy base.

 
4. Cut a 2 sections of ribbon about 2” and make a large loop on both ends   Glue these onto the base of the feathers in an x pattern. 

5. Find your roses and if they have a stiff "base" coming out from the bottom of the bud, cut that base off. Be careful not to cut too close to the bud, it might unravel if you do so.

6. Take your tweezers and holding the rose top, dip the base (now flat and small) into the glue and then place on your hat in the desired position. Repeat with more roses.

Essentially what you are doing is adding layer upon layer until you have a finished hat, you  can add as much or as little as you like - your hats will always turn out different and be unique, even if you use the same ingredients.

Enjoy!