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How I made my Felt Hats

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... feel free to ask any question if y'all decide to give hat making a try ...
I just noticed this hat as formed will 'catch water' if raining out ... I really like the look of it, but I myself will avoid the bowl on top of my head, less I lean over my primed firelock with it, at the least opportune moment, LOL!
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Alright so that was the majority of the actual hat making, next is purely optional. The good thing about making your own hat is that you won't feel bad about making any changes down the road if you aren't pleased with it, for it's easy to reshape the crown or brim once you get it down. I decided to decorate my hat a bit by adding some spare pillow ticking fabric I had from a previous project, all I did was tie a knot in the back to keep it in place. I also added a small strip of leather as well, also tied. Of course, you can add whatever you want to the crown, it's your hat! Here's a photo of the hat when I immediately finished it with an open crown. Although I got tired of the open crown, I didn't think it was very flattering on me, so I creased it a few weeks later. I hope y'all enjoyed this thread of my hat making, feel free to ask any question if y'all decide to give hat making a try. I'll answer them to the best of my knowledge and ability. :ThankYou:

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Looks like Bob Dylan’s hat on his Desire album 👍🏻 (I‘be always wanted one).
You do a fine job !
 
@DiMarco_Mercantile I really enjoyed the post. I found a kinda slouch hat at goodwill , it looked like a blank so I used your post and made a passable hunter's hat. I'll be on the lookout for more hats. The good thing most of them have the distressed look and they don't have to be in perfect condition. Bruce
That’s great to hear! It’s nice to be able to recycle hats like that and not have to pay hundreds to get one custom made.
 
I’ve collected a few nice Stetson type cowboy hats at garage sales over the years for less than a wool blank. Several of them would be good candidates for reshaping. I did one a number of years ago using steam from a steam iron to flatten the brim and reshape the crown.
 
I got the urge to make myself another hat, this time a top hat of sorts. I’m still debating about adjusting the length of the brim.

I used the same methods I stated earlier for fitment to my head, the only thing I did different is to use a paint can for the shape of the crown. I did use some hat stiffener to help with retaining its shape. Photos attached.
 

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