DIY Network

Derby Days Celebrate Derby Day — or any day — with these racing-themed projects. From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-711

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Embellished "Fancy Hats"

Put a feather in your cap with these clever embellishment techniques for fanciful, festive Derby hats.

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Embellished "Fancy Hats"

Materials:

plain straw hat
craft paint
1" foam brush
1/2 yd. hatband fabric
1-2 large wired feather picks (floral supply)
2 smaller wired feather tufts
1 sprig accent material (jeweled twigs, more feathers, etc.)
1 yd. wire-edged ribbon
glue gun
garment steamer or large pot of boiling water

1. Hold the crown of a straw hat over steam for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until pliable. Gently push in the crown peak and pinch on the inside until the desired shape has been achieved. Next, curl up one side of the brim and hold in place while it cools (figure A). Resteam as needed.

Caution: Steam can burn: be careful not to hold your hands close to the steam source while shaping your hat.

2. Use craft paint and a foam brush to paint a 1" trim around the top of the hat brim (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

3. Measure around the base of the crown. Next, cut a strip of hatband fabric 4" wide by 2" plus the length of the crown measurement. Fold the length of the strip in half, pin together and sew into a tube, leaving the short ends open. Turn right side out.

4. Turn one end of the hatband under, creating a hem; secure the hem with hot glue. Glue this end of the hatband to the crown base, along the curled brim side (figure C).

5. Add larger feather picks at the back of the crown; cut away any unnecessary wire and attach with hot glue to the base of the crown. Add smaller feather tufts to the side crown and front of brim (figure D).

6. Add floral or decorative elements to the feather arrangement before wrapping the hatband around the crown. Be gentle when securing feathers and decorations, and fold under the raw end of the tube before securing with hot glue.

7. Create a bow by wrapping wired ribbon back and forth 5-6 times; hot-glue one end to the feather arrangement along the crown (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

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