
Molded Crowns and Wired Brims
In lesson one, you learned the basic construction
methods to cover your cardstock base with fabrics, and assemble a
hat. You can easily combine these techniques with others to
create a vast variety of styles and shapes in your hat making.
This lesson will teach you to make a molded crown, and also to wire a
large brim which can be shaped according to your liking.
Tools

Crown Tool - see below for
description
Circle Template
Disappearing Fabric Marker
Rubber Bands
Plastic Wrap
Stiffy Fabric Stiffener
20 gauge covered florist
wire
Fabric, trims as desired,
Cardstock,
Wonder-under
Tools as listed in lesson 1
Making a Molded Crown
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The crown molding
tool consists of a 3/4" wooden doll head bead, which has
been attached to a short length of 3/4" wood
doweling. The bead has a 1/8" hole in the
flattened end. Drill a 1/8" hole in one end of the
3/4" doweling, and connect the two pieces using a short
piece of 1/8" dowel, gluing pieces together. If you
have a way to taper the end of your handle before gluing, this
is handy, but not necessary. |
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Cover your crown
molding tool with 3-4 layers of plastic food wrap, and secure
tightly at base of bead with a rubber band.
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Cut a piece of your hat fabric
2" x 2".
Place the fabric over the top of your tool, and secure
with a rubber band. Get the fabric as smooth over the top
of the tool as possible. You will have some wrinkles, but
don't worry!
Hint: Want lace over your fabric? Cut thin
point de'sprit, fine lace, or tulle 2" x2".
Apply a thin layer of glue to the fabric, attach lace, and treat
both layers as a single piece of fabric. Proceed with the
following steps while glue is still wet. |
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Grab the ends of
the fabric and pull firmly, working your way around the
tool. This will pull out any wrinkles that remained over
the top of the tool. |
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Apply Stiffy fabric stiffener to
the fabric, rubbing to work stiffener well into the fabric., and
distributing evenly.
Set this piece aside and allow to dry completely.
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Brim for a Molded Crown Hat
and
Wiring a Brim
You can use any shape brim
you wish for your molded crown hat. The only requirement is that
the center circle is just a hair over 3/4" in diameter. The
brim can be round, or oval. For this lesson, I am going to use
an oval shaped brim, and also add wiring to the edge to allow me to
dramatically shape the brim when the hat is completed.
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Select the shape brim you want to use for your
hat. Make sure that the circle in the center measures
3/4" in diameter.
Use the link below to find a downloadable, printable copy
of the two brims shown here
TO
BRIM PATTERN |
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You will need two of the brim shapes you have
selected. Fuse wonder under to the back sides of your
brims as you learned in lesson 1. Cut out brims,
removing center section. Peel backing off wonder-under.
Place cardstock brims on your fabric, with wonder-under
side down. Be sure to leave at least 3/8" around
all outer edges of pieces. |
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Refer to lesson One for instructions on clipping
edges if necessary.
On one brim piece, cut out leaving 3/8" fabric around
the outside, rather than the usual 1/4". Also, when
clipping this piece, do not cut all the way to the card
stock. Stop 1/8" from the cardstock edge.
This is the piece to which we will attach our brim wiring.
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Place your 20 gauge florist wire around the
outer edge of the brim, gently bending and shaping the wire to
match the shape of the brim. Allow the ends to overlap
1/2". |
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Using a piece of sewing thread, wrap the area of
the wire where the ends overlap, securing your wire into the
oval shape. |
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Run a bead of Designer Tacky Glue around the
outer edge of the cardstock.
Place wire into the glue, and allow to dry. |
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Apply a thin bead of glue over a small section
of the wire, and cardstock just inside the wire, and
fold over fabric tabs, wrapping the fabric over both the edge
of the cardstock, and the wire. |
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Continue in this manner around the entire brim
piece.
Finish the center circle of the brim in the usual manner,
and finish edges of the second brim piece in the same way. |
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Using the methods shown in lesson 1, apply trim
of your choice to the edge of the unwired brim. Fluffy
ribbon, or lace works well. |

Thank you for visiting my site,
and taking an interest in my class.
Just as a gentle reminder,
This class has been designed
to help you learn the basics of hat making.
Please visit this site as often as you like,
to help you with your hat making skills.
This class, photos, & instructions are
copy-righted & are not to be used
as a tutorial of your own.
If you would
like to print out this Lesson,
use this
link to reach a printer friendly version
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