Making the Hat

• 1). Find a can in the size hat you want. Pick a can as wide as the top of the head your hat would fit on. For example, a regular coffee can will make a hat about 10-inches tall with about a 10-inch wide brim.
  
  
• 2). Trace the rim of the can onto a piece of paper with a pencil.
  
  
• 3). Insert a pencil into a protractor and place the point in the center of the coffee rim circle on the paper. Open the protractor to draw another circle 4-inches wider around the first circle.
  
  
• 4). Cut out both circle patterns on the paper with scissors. The inner circle will be used for the top of the hat and the outer circle will be used for the brim.
  
  
• 5). Pin the two circle pattern pieces on the black fabric. Add a 1/2 inch to the edge of the small circle to allow excess fabric to tuck into the stovepipe portion of the hat. Cut the two circles out of the fabric with scissors.
  
  
• 6). Wrap a piece of black fabric around the can, overlapping slightly, and pin together. Remove the can and cut the excess fabric along the outside of the pin line.
  
  
• 7). Glue the pinned seams together with fabric glue to create the stovepipe. Apply a bead of glue to the edge of the small circle, tuck the edges into the stovepipe and glue to the inside.
  
  
• 8). Stuff the hat with the polyester stuffing. Fill the stovepipe loosely for a more floppy hat, or stuff tight for a solid, upright hat.
  
  
• 9). Glue the bottom edge of the stovepipe to the brim. Cut 1/4-inch notches every few inches along the stovepipe bottom edge. Turn the notches up and out towards you, place the stovepipe in the center of the brim, and glue each notch onto the brim. This edge will be covered later.
  
  

Grunge the Hat

• 1). Dry brush brown acrylic paint onto sections of the hat for a grungy look. Dip the brush in paint and wipe off excess to dry brush. Apply most of the paint to areas that would get the most wear and tear, like the front of the brim or around the stovepipe edges. The paint will make the hat appear worn. Use more than one shade of brown paint on the brush for more depth.
  
  
• 2). Combine 1/2 cup of instant coffee grinds with one teaspoon each of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves on a paper plate.
  
  
• 3). Brush the coffee mixture onto areas of the hat to make the hat look old and dirty.
  
  
• 4). Tie a strip of homespun fabric around the brim and tie in a bow. Embellish with berry pips, holly sprigs and a prim tag to the finished hat for display.