Recognizible Hats

• The perfect hat costume features a well-known hat, such as the Cat in the Hat's hat or the Mad Hatter's hat from "Alice in Wonderland." Holiday hats are recognizable by type, such as Santa's fur-trimmed cap or a green St. Patrick's Day derby. If you are dressed as a film-noir gangster, a black fedora hat is a must-have accessory to complete the look. For a less hat-focused predictable costume, you might wear Uncle Sam's top hat or Yosemite Sam's oversized cowboy hat.
  
  

Decorated Hats

• Instead of finding a hat to go with a costume, you can easily and inexpensively turn your favorite hat into a costume. If your hat has a hat band, like a derby, fedora or cowboy hat, you can make a new band to cover the old one. The hat band is a fresh costume canvas for all sorts of material, including silk flowers and paper. Imagine a hat covered with origami figures ready to "spring" off its brim.
  
  You can also decorate the hat band with feathers, such as long ostrich plumes. Make it as full or scant as desired. Or, repurpose the band with pins, broaches or tie tacks. Many a hat looks festive draped and wrapped in Mardi Gras beads. For another shiny option, you can cover the entire hat, or just the band, in sequined appliques.
  
  

Fantasy Hats

• If you're making a hat costume from scratch, consider using any object that can rest atop your head for a base, such as a pot. Or, cut a plastic gallon jug in half and turn the bottom into a hat. Cardboard can be cut and glued into a variety of shapes. Or, if the cardboard is flexible enough, fold it into a hat as you would a paper hat to make a sturdier base for decorating.
  
  Once you have a base for your hat, use craft paint and glue to decorate it. Attach dangling objects such as tassels and old earrings, appliques, flowers, origami or even plastic toys. Go wild with designs, swirls or psychedelic flowers. Let the hat be an explosive expression of you.