Repurposing a Found Object to Make a Felt Fashion Doll Hat

Miss Gene Marshall

This delightful 1950's era lampshade style hat was made from wool felt molded over a found object....in this case, an old vinegar bottle. You can easily make stylish hats for your favorite miniature diva by using simple objects as a hat block.

The first thing you'll need is an appropriate bottle for your hat. You might just find the perfect one in your kitchen or bathroom. If not, check out the beauty and skincare aisle at your local drugstore or even the condiment aisle at the market. Make sure the bottle is long enough to allow for the felt to stretch down, and that it is the same size or smaller than your doll's head. If necessary, you can pad a smaller bottle with muslin or felt to make it larger. The 16 oz. vinegar bottle used in this tutorial measures 4 1/4" around the cap and 6 1/4" around the "brim".

Additional supplies needed:
A good quality wool felt.  I used a 9" x 11" piece.
Rubber band
Foil
Saran Wrap
Scissors
Steam iron or steamer
Press cloth
Assorted ribbon and trim

Step 1.  Prepare the "hat block" by covering the bottle with foil. Cover the foil with saran wrap.

Step 2:  Thoroughly wet felt under the faucet with hot water, stretching the felt in all directions. This will loosen the fibers and make it easier to stretch and smooth. Blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Center the felt over the bottle, smooth down sides and secure with a rubber band. Begin pulling and smoothing excess felt below the rubber band until it is smooth and wrinkle-free above the rubber band. Take your time. Once you are satisfied with the results, let it dry for at least 24-hours. Tip: To make sure the "crown" remained well-defined as it dried, I wrapped a piece of saran wrap firmly around the cap and secured with a small piece of scotch tape as shown above.

Step 3:  Once dry, remove the rubber band, and take the hat off of the bottle. With scissors, trim just above the indention line created by the rubber band.

Step 4:  Determine the desired width of the brim. Turn under the excess amount. This will clean finish the inside of the hat and give support to the brim. Place your hat back on the "hat block". Cover with a press cloth and steam the brim. Let dry thoroughly. You are now ready to trim your new hat.

Phoenix Gene Marshall wears Smart Set from Ashton Drake.
Portfolio from Mattel.

Here is a simple alternative for finishing the edge of the brim:

Trim the edge with scissors to the desired finished width. You can use dressmaker's chalk or even painter's tape as a cutting guide if needed. I find the hat is easier to mark when left on the "hat block". Soften the cut edge of the felt by lightly sanding with the finer side of an emery board. Click HERE to see a variation of Gene's lampshade style hat using this finishing technique.

Resources:
Wool felt is available from Edinburgh Imports, Inc.
The Art of Making Miniature Millinery by Timothy Alberts, Hobby House Press, Inc.

A New Hat for the New Year

What better way to start a new year than with a new hat!  Barbie refreshes her black and white checked "Walking Suit" with a delightful harlequin-style hat from The Couture Touch. Necklace and Scottie dog are from Joshard. The Walking Suit Barbie doll is from Mattel's Silkstone Fashion Model Collection.

Happy New Year!

Harper's Bazaar, 1957
Photo courtesy La Vie en Chocolat

Whimsical Christmas Hats

Tis the season for accessorizing your wardrobe with fun and whimsical hats. Here are a few gems sure to put a smile on even a tempestuous miniature Hollywood diva's face.

An unusual shaped wool knitted hat with matching sweater perfect for Holiday outdoor fun.
Bestway knitted pattern photo courtesy fab40s.co.uk

A festive snowflake cocktail hat courtesy wanelo.com

A fabulous red and green jersey turban, circa 1942.
Photo courtesy Baubles by Betty on Pinterest.

Vintage Pepsi ad courtesy retrorover-vintagedogs.blogspot.com

This marvelous felt mistletoe veiled Christmas hat is by Tanith Rowan Designs.

Monolithic's diva extraordinaire Miss Madra Lord poses for a studio publicity photo
wearing a delightful Christmas hat by The Couture Touch.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Saucy Buckram Hats for Gene Marshall

An Easy DIY Project

The secret to these stylish hats....They are made from a buckram pate!  Pates are used in doll making to close the opening on top of the head. They are available in a variety of sizes. Pates resemble small disc-like hats with a slight cap effect. The brim and crown merge into one with the trimming acting as the crown. This style was often seen in the late 1940's and continued into the 1950's.

Here's what you'll need to make your own hat for Miss Marshall:

Buckram Doll Pates.  For this project I am using a 2 1/4" size pate.

Bias Tape.  You can use 1/4" double fold or 1/2" single fold purchased bias tape, or you can make your own using cotton fabric and a Bias Tape Maker that makes 1/2" tape.

Glue.  I use Fabri-Tac by Beacon Adhesives.

Assorted Trims.  Flowers, bows, veiling, feathers, birds....The possibilities are endless.

To begin, apply glue along the edge of the top rim of the buckram pate, sandwiching the edge inside the bias tape as shown in fig.1 above. Position the tape and press until the glue holds. Work a small section at a time, as the glue dries fast. If you are working with double fold tape, you will notice that one side is slightly wider than the other. The wider side will go underneath the hat. If you are using single fold tape, I recommend pressing the tape in half before applying.

To finish the ends, trim the tape allowing 1/2" overlap. Fold over the end 1/4" as in fig. 2. Apply a dot of glue to hold, then overlap the ends 1/4" for a neat finish (fig. 3). Glue in place to secure. Turn over and glue the underside of the bias tape to the buckram pate. You are now ready to apply your trimmings to the top of your hat with glue.

Need some inspiration for decorating your hat?  Check out these delightful hats from UK milliner, Talulahblue, who specializes in cocktail hats for big girls.

Resources and Credits:

Buckram Doll Pates are available at Dollspart, CR's Crafts, doll shops that sell doll making supplies such as Gigi's Dolls in Chicago (773-594-1540), or they can be purchased from eBay.

Fabri-Tac glue, Bias Tape, and Bias Tape Makers are available at fabric stores.

Trims such as florals, pre-made bows, feathers, birds, etc are available at craft and fabric stores. Doll Artist's Workshop is a great online resource for doll size trims. If you follow The Couture Touch blog, you know I love to reuse trims. All of the hats shown in this tutorial were recycled from other items.

The Models:  White Orchid Gene Marshall is from JamieShow, and Symphony in G Gene Marshall is from Ashton Drake.

Miss Marshall wears a chic buckram hat utilizing a 2 3/4" size pate. A small piece of veiling was applied to the top of the pate before attaching the bias tape. A black organdy fabric rose accented with a bow forms the "crown".  Cocktails, anyone?