Tutorial: Create a Marie-Antoinette Hat for your BJD

Make a simple Marie-Antoinette hat for your ball-jointed doll. This pattern can be adapted for any size BJD, and requires very few materials. We guide you through the construction of the hat. The final decorative touches are left to your imagination!

Materials

• Cardboard square – approximately 5 x 5 inches (the thickness of a playing card or cereal box)
• 1/4 yard fabric
• Sewing thread in matching color
• Ribbons, trims, beads, etc…
• Magna-tac glue, or clear craft glue
• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Box cutter
• Sewing needle
• Ruler
• Compass

Create the Body of the Hat

Measure the head from the chin to the top of the forehead. This is the diameter of the top of the hat.

On the cardboard, draw a circle with diameter D.

Draw another circle around the first circle. The distance between the inner circle and the outer circle determines the size of the brim.

With scissors, cut along the outer circle. Using a box cutter, cut along the inner circle.

Calculate the the circumference of the inner circle. Multiply D by 3.14. On the cardboard, draw a rectangle whose length is the circumference of the inner circle + 1/4 inch. For a short hat, draw a narrow band. For a tall hat draw a wider band. (We made ours about 1/4 inch tall).

Cut the band out.

You have 3 pieces: a band, a doughnut, and a disk.

Put a line of glue on the long side of the band, close to the edge.

Glue the band inside the doughnut.

Put glue along the edge of the disk.

Glue the disk on the hat.

Measure the Hat

Measure the circumference of the outside brim of the hat. (CO)

Measure the height of the band plus the width of the brim. (B)

Cut a band of fabric to cover the brim. The fabric length is COx2, and the fabric width is (Bx2)+1/4 inch.

Cover the Hat Brim with Fabric

This is the fabric band.

With a needle and thread, gather the long edge of the band.

Fit the gathered band over the top of the hat. Tighten the gather, and sew the band closed.

Remove the fabric. Put a line of glue along the band.

Slide the gathered fabric over the top of the hat, and glue in place.

Now gather the loose end of the band.

Pull to tighten the gather.

Put a line of glue along the inside of the hat.

Tighten the gather some more.

Fold the raw edge over to hide it.

Glue gathered fabric to the inside of the hat.

The Brim is covered.

Cover the Top of the Hat with Fabric

Cut a disk of fabric slightly bigger than the top of the hat.

Cut triangular wedges out, around the whole disk.

Put a line glue along the fabric covered band.

Glue the fabric disk on.

Add Main Trimmings

Put a line of glue along the band of the hat again.

Glue a piece of  ribbon.

With some ribbon, make a bow.

Put a dab of glue at the point  where the ribbon ends meet. This point is the back of the hat.

Glue the bow in place.

Turn the hat over. Keeping the position of the bow in the *back*, put a dab of glue on each *side* of the hat.

Glue ribbon pieces in place. They will be used to tie a bow at the nape of the doll’s neck. They must be long enough to be tied into a bow.

Glue a disk of fabric inside the hat.

Lift the ribbons and put a line of glue along the underside, at the outer edge of the brim.

Place the lace on the glue so it shows beyond the brim.

Now take your glue, trims, ribbons, and beads, etc… and have fun decorating the hat!

If you like this tutorial, please link to it and share it with your friends!

~BJDmagazine

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