…but you have to know how.

So, it was Dr. Suess Week at my son’s school. Apparently, this is a celebration recognized nation-wide. I had no idea… until I was faced with “Dress As Your Favorite Dr. Suess Character” Day.

We have a huge library of Dr. Suess books, but Dylan’s absolute favorite is The Cat in the Hat. So, it was easy to decide what to do.
I found many hat tutorials online, like this one and this one, but I determined pretty quickly that this is a project all about personal preferences. Do you prefer wider stripes or thinner ones? A floppy brim or one with body? A taller hat or a shorter one?
I wanted a tall hat with wide stripes and a substantial brim.
To make a hat like mine, you will need:
2 – 12″-13″ large circles cut out of white felt
1 – 6 1/2″ circle cut out of red felt for the top of the hat
3 – 4″ x 22″ strips of red felt
2 – 4″ x 22″ strips of white felt 

I started by measuring my son’s head. Nothing is worse than a hat that is too big or too small. It measured 21″. I determined the length of the stripes based on the circumference of my son’s head, then I added an inch for my seam allowance.

Locate something around your house that you can trace for your circle pieces. I found a mixing bowl for the small circle and head hole and a Christmas cookie platter for the large. Gotta use whatever you can find! Get creative, friends!
**Optional Step** If you are pressed for time, it’s not really necessary to cut two pieces for your brim. I wanted to give my brim a lot of body so I planned to stitch the two brim pieces together.
Stitch the two large circles together around the outer edge (1/2″ seam) and clip the seam allowance all away around the circle. This makes it easier to get a smooth look around the edge of the brim. Turn the brim right-side out.
**Optional step** I’m obsessed with finishing so I stitched another seam around the border of the brim once I turned it around. This is not going to affect the fit of your hat if you decide not to do it.
Stitch your felt strips together (1/2″ seam), beginning and ending with red. 
Fold the assembled stripes, right sides together, and sew along the striped edge.
Pin the top of the hat in place and stitch around the circumference with a 1/2″ seam allowance. I’m such a slacker when it comes to pinning my pieces in place, but it’s really essential in this step. It makes it so much easier to stitch together. So… pin, pin, pin with lots of pins.
Turn right side out and pin the brim in place – top side of the brim against the right side of the hat. Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
And that’s it! I was so pleased with how simple this project was and how great it turned out. I was hoping to create something that both of my boys can enjoy for years to come.

Dylan’s pretty proud of it, too.

Send me pics of the costumes you’ve made for yourself or your kids? I’ll post them here to inspire others! rachelhgarza{at}gmail{dot}com.

See you tomorrow!