Alice in Wonderland - how to make a Top Hat Headband (no sew)

An easy, no sewing top hat headband that is great for kids parties and dressing up. You don't need much fabric for this project and you can add any accessories you'd like to customise your headband!

What you'll need:

-fabric of choice, no more than 1 fat quarter is needed

-Pelmet stiffener (I've used Vlieseline S520)

-a plain headband

-accessories to decorate - I've used a cream organza to tie around the base of the hat

-a small and a large circle template (for example a Sellotape roll and a large plate)

-erasable fabric pen or chalk

-scissors

-quilting clips

Adhesives - hot glue gun

-textile glue (optional, a glue gun will also work)

-505 temporary adhesive spray (optional too!)

Alice fabric:

I've used the new Alice in Wonderland fabric from Craft Cotton Company who teamed up with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to celebrate their upcoming exhibition, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser. This is a 5 piece fabric collection featuring the wonderful illustrations from first published edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, illustrated by John Tenniel, 1866.

Click here to see exhibition details

1. Using your large circle template, draw a quarter circle on the pelmet stiffener. Draw an inner circle 4 inches in from the outer line and cut this shape out. This will create the shape for the hat. (You can increase or decrease this to adjust the size of the hat.)

Use the small circle template to cut out a circle shape for the base of the hat.

2. Glue the quarter circle shape to the back your fabric using 505 adhesive spray. Add approx. half an inch around the quarter circle and cut out. (this can be rough)

TIP - if you have enough fabric, you can 'fussy cut' the design how you like.

3. Snip into the half inch edge all the way round the shape. Glue these flaps you've created over the pelmet edge using textile glue or glue gun. You can use clips to keep the flaps in place till the glue dries.

4. Join the 2 edges of the quarter circle. Overlap the edges slightly and using a hot glue gun, glue the edges together. This will create a cone shape.

5. Use the widest end of the cone to draw a new circle on pelmet stiffener and cut this circle out. This will be the top of the hat.

Glue this circle to the back of some fabric and cut out a circle about half an inch bigger than the pelmet.

Snip into the half inch edge of the fabric and glue the around the pelmet.

6. Using a hot glue gun, glue this circle to the top of the cone.

7. Use the circle shape pelmet that was originally cut out as a template to cut 2 circles, with an added half inch edge.

8. Using the textile glue, adhere the 2 pieces of fabric to either side of the pelmet circle. You could also iron these pieces together if your pelmet is double sided adhesive.

Use pinking shears to cut around the entire edge to create a zig zag effect. This will also stop the fabric from fraying.

9. Using a hot glue gun, adhere the cone to the centre of the zig zagged circle.

10. Decorate the hat as you wish! I've tied the organza around the base of the hat.

11.Use a hot glue gun to adhere the hat to a headband and your hat is complete!