Learn How to Make a Leprechaun Hat

Next St. Patrick's Day, you can celebrate by donning your very own leprechaun hat. These hats are easy to make out of either paper or fabric, but you need to have a plan before you begin. Here are two of the simplest versions of this craft you can try.

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Steps

Method One: Paper Leprechaun Hat

1. 1
   Cut out a rectangle for the buckle. Cut out a 3-inch by 2-inch (7.6-cm by 5-cm) rectangle from yellow construction paper. Cut out another rectangle inside of it to create a hollow buckle shape.
   • The remaining outline should be between 1/2 inch to 1 inch (1.25 cm to 2.5 cm) thick all the way around. Keep the remaining edge evenly wide at all points.
   • Do not cut through the edge when cutting out the center. Pierce the center of the rectangle with your scissors or, if necessary, cut the center out using a craft knife or utility knife.
   • To make things as even as possible, draw the outline using a pencil and ruler before cutting it out.
   • The center piece can be discarded after you cut it out. Only the outline needs to remain.
2. 2
   Coat the buckle in glitter. Apply a thin coat of school glue to one side of the paper buckle. Shake gold glitter over the glue and let dry.
   • For an even coating, apply the glue using a glue stick. Alternatively, you could also apply dots or lines of liquid glue and spread the glue out evenly with an old paintbrush or the tip of your finger.
   • Shake off the excess glitter after you apply it.
3. 3
   Cut a sheet of green construction paper in half. Use scissors to cut a standard sheet of green construction paper in half, creating two skinny rectangles.
   • If you are uncertain about where the halfway mark is, fold the paper in half lengthwise or “hotdog style” Unfold and cut along the crease mark.
   • Alternatively, if you want a taller hat, you can skip this step and use the entire sheet of construction paper for the body of the hat.
   • If you do divide the paper in half, set one half aside and only work with the other half from this point on.
4. 4
   Draw a belt onto the bottom of one construction paper half. Carefully draw a straight line along the bottom of one of the green halves. Color this bottom portion in with black marker, crayon, or colored pencil.
   • If you want to create an even bad, use a ruler and a pencil to lightly draw a straight line across one entire long edge of the green rectangle. The bad should be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick all the way around.
5. 5
   Form a cylinder. Apply glue along one short edge of the paper. Bring the other edge around so that it overlaps the glue-edge, forming a cylinder. Press the two edges in place and let dry.
   • The paper should face up, with the black band visible, when you apply the glue to one edge. The edge that overlaps this glue-edge should touch the glue from the backside of the paper, though.
6. 6
   Cut out a circle. Place the cylinder on top of another sheet of green construction paper. Draw a circle around the cylinder that is roughly 2 inches (5 cm) wider than the cylinder itself. Cut this circle out with scissors.
   • If you need help making this first circle, you could trace the mouth of an upside-down bowl or similarly round surface. Just make sure that the diameter of the object you trace is larger than the diameter of the cylinder by about 2 inches (5 cm) or more.
7. 7
   Divide the circle into a ring and a center. Place the cylinder on top of the circle again. Trace around it exactly this time, making sure that this second inside circle is the same size as the opening of the cylinder. Cut this circle out with scissors.
   • Avoid making the circumference of the circle smaller than that of the cylinder, since a circle that is too small will fall through when placed on the top of the cylinder.
   • Avoid making the circumference of the circle larger than that of the cylinder, as well, since doing so will cause the center of the ring to becomes too large, making it impossible to fit it onto the edge of the cylinder.
8. 8
   Adhere the small circle to the top of the cylinder. Use glue or tape to attach the smaller green circle to the top of the hat.
   • Place circle on your work surface and set the cylinder on top of it. Tape the two pieces together, attaching the tape to the inside of the cylinder rather than the outside.
   • If using glue, you will need to lay the circle on your work surface and draw a thin line of glue around the edge. Set the cylinder on top so that it dips into the glue.
9. 9
   Attach the ring to the bottom of the cylinder. Use glue or tape to attach the green ring to the bottom of the hat.
   • With the hat still upside-down, place the ring on top. Tape the two pieces together, attaching the tape to the inside of the cylinder and the bottom of the brim.
   • If using glue, place the ring on your work surface and carefully apply a line of glue around the inner edge. Set the cylinder on top so that it dips into the glue.
10. 10
    Glue the buckle onto the hat. Apply a thin coat of glue to the paper buckle. Press the buckle onto the black strip at the bottom of the hat and let dry.
    • Preferably, the seam of the hat should face the back, and the buckle should be directly across from the seam at the front of the hat.
    • This concludes the paper leprechaun hat.

Method Two: Fabric Leprechaun Hat

1. 1
   Cut out a large circle from sturdy green fabric. The circle should have a diameter of about 12 inches (30.5 cm).
   • Note that a ravel-resistant fabric is recommended for this project. If you can find a sturdy fabric, like felt, that works even better.
   • The original instructions for this hat are designed to work with small children. For an adult-sized hat, you may need an initial circle that is roughly 18 inches (45.7 cm) in diameter.
2. 2
   Divide the circle into a ring and a center circle. Cut a small circle out of your original circle. The diameter of this circle should roughly match to diameter of the wearer's head.
   • To find the diameter of the wearer's head, wrap a tape measure around the part on which the hat will sit. Divide this number by pi, or 3.14, and round up to the nearest half inch to determine the right diameter for the hat.
3. 3
   Cut out a rectangle for the body of the hat. Use the same green fabric used for the circles. The length of the rectangle should roughly match the circumference of the smaller circle with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of extra material for a seam allowance. The width should be about 12 inches (30.5 cm).
   • The circumference of the smaller circle is also the same measurement as the circumference of your head.
   • For an adult-sized hat, you may wish to consider upping the width of the fabric to 18 inches (45.7 cm) for a more balanced hat.
4. 4
   Use iron-on interfacing to add stability to the hat. If you are using a fabric that is somewhat flimsy, place iron-on interfacing on the back side of the fabric and iron in place until bonded.
   • Note this step is not necessary if you are using a thick fabric, like felt, that is durable to stand on its own.
   • When using iron-on interfacing, cut out a sheet of interfacing that matches the dimensions of the body rectangle. Apply the iron-on side, which should be clearly marked, to the wrong side of the fabric and iron in place, passing the iron over the interfacing firmly and securely so that it does not peel up or shift in place as you iron it. Once cool, simply peel off the paper backing.
5. 5
   Form a cylinder from the body rectangle. Fold the rectangular piece of fabric in half widthwise, with the wrong side facing out, and pin in place. Stitch a straight stitch along the open end of the fabric, roughly 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) in from the edge.
   • If using a sewing machine, a simple straight stitch will work fine. If handsewing, try using a backstitch to give the thread a little more durability.
6. 6
   Pin and sew the top to the cylinder. With the wrong side still facing out, and the wrong side of the small circle facing up, pin the circle to one open end of the cylinder. Stitch in place.
   • The right sides of the fabric should not be visible to you at this present moment, but they should all face one another.
   • If using a sewing machine, a simple straight stitch will work fine. If handsewing, try using a backstitch to give the thread a little more durability.
7. 7
   Pin and sew the brim to the hat. Turn the hat upside-down and right side out. Pin the inside of the ring to the remaining open edge of the hat and stitch in place.
   • If the outer edge of the ring threatens to fray, you can hem it or apply fray check to stop the threads from unraveling.
   • If using a sewing machine, a simple straight stitch will work fine. If handsewing, try using a running stitch so that the rim is a little floppier and more whimsical.
8. 8
   Cut out a yellow rectangle for a buckle. Use sturdy, ravel-resistant fabric like felt and cut out a rectangle that is 4 inches by 5.5 inches (10 cm by 14 cm). Cut out a second rectangle from the center of this rectangle, making an outline that is roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
   • If the edges threaten to fray, you can hem them with a needle and thread or apply fray check to the edges.
9. 9
   Cut out a black rectangle for a band. The strip of black fabric should be about 4 inches (10 cm) wide and the same length as your original body rectangle.
   • Use sturdy, ravel-resistant fabric, like felt.
   • If the edges threaten to fray, you can hem them with a needle and thread or apply fray check to the edges.
10. 10
    Attach the buckle to the band. Sew or glue the yellow buckle piece onto the center of the black band.
    • Try to place the center of the buckle directly over the center of the band. This “belt” portion of the hat should be fairly symmetrical.
    • You can hand stitch the buckle piece in place or hold it together using fabric glue.
11. 11
    Attach the band to the hat. Sew or glue the black band around the bottom of the hat, just about the brim.
    • The band should almost lie flush against the rim of the hat. Bring the back edges together at the back edge of the hat, allowing them to overlap.
    • You can hand stitch the belt in place or hold it together using fabric glue.

Things You'll Need

Paper Leprechaun Hat

• 2 sheets of green construction paper
• School glue (glue stick or liquid glue)
• Clear tape
• Gold glitter
• Scissors
• Craft knife (optional)
• Bowl (optional)
• Ruler (optional)
• Pencil (optional)

Fabric Leprechaun Hat

• Tape measure
• Green fabric, roughly 1 yd (1 m)
• Black fabric, roughly 1/4 yd (1/4 m)
• Yellow fabric, scraps
• Green, black, yellow thread
• Sewing needle or sewing machine
• Iron (optional)
• Interfacing (optional)
• Fray check (optional)
• Fabric glue (optional)