ACParadise Forums

Ok I am new to the world of cosplay but what REALLY got me into it was the hats. I LOVE the anime hats but I found them too expensive to buy half the time.... so now I am making my own...

However... mine seem so plain. So could someone give me a few tips and suggestions on how to make them more uniquiqe?

heres the first hat I made... on me... TT^TT




The other hats I made are similar but they all lack persoality..

My latest hat::

Cute hat! It looks like you used a patterned fabric for the pink parts of the ears. That's a good start for making them unique. Another thing that adds character is putting facial features onto the hat like eyes, whiskers, nose, and/or mouth. Embroidery, beads or buttons, sequins, Be-dazzler, glue-on felt shapes...all that kinda stuff (not all at once though ^^; ) can make neat, personalized accents on your hats.

Have fun! ^_^

mrs.tomoe wrote:Cute hat! It looks like you used a patterned fabric for the pink parts of the ears. That's a good start for making them unique. Another thing that adds character is putting facial features onto the hat like eyes, whiskers, nose, and/or mouth. Embroidery, beads or buttons, sequins, Be-dazzler, glue-on felt shapes...all that kinda stuff (not all at once though ^^; ) can make neat, personalized accents on your hats.

Have fun! ^_^

b-but I dont know how to do half of that stuff... TT^TT like embroidery or putting the faces on...

could someone tell me how to put faces on?

alot of the times i just look for a kids pattern with the basic animal shape and try and alter the pattern( i'm not really good with making my own) but it was really easy to just take a few measurements and add what i need to it..anyways...i LIKE your kitty ears and keep it up!

heathenchild wrote:alot of the times i just look for a kids pattern with the basic animal shape and try and alter the pattern( i'm not really good with making my own) but it was really easy to just take a few measurements and add what i need to it..anyways...i LIKE your kitty ears and keep it up!

thanks. I am nowhere close to marketing them yet cuz I still need a lot of work but yeah I KINDA did that when I made a tie-dye bunneh hat ^^;

tye-dyed eh?cool: i don't sell mine either....sometimes its nicer to know that yours is an original! my mom also suggested looking at stuffed animal constuction books...i have a hard time with different types of ears(mostly with seam allowance and turning...i can never seem to get points to NOT look lumpy) i noticed on your kitty hat they look great...care to share how?

sock kitty wrote:b-but I dont know how to do half of that stuff... TT^TT like embroidery or putting the faces on...

could someone tell me how to put faces on?

Looking at stuffed animals is a good way to get ideas for different types of faces and items you could use for making the faces.

You'd have to check a book for embroidery instructions. Or maybe you have a friend or relative who knows how; they'd probably be glad to show you a few basic stitches.

An easy way to make a face is to use stickers or shapes cut from masking tape to paste simple eyes and nose onto your hat. Once you're happy with their locations, lift each piece of tape/sticker carefully and mark their places with a small marker dot. Now get rid of the tape, and you can sew a couple of buttons for the eyes and maybe a little felt triangle for the nose (if it's a cat). One thing I haven't seen yet is someone using fishing line or something to add whiskers that actually stick out -- like some stuffed animals have.

After you've done a few, you'll probably think of lots of other ways to decorate your hats. You already have a knack for shaping the hats and making super cute ears so when you figure out these little extras, I think you'll be really happy with the results. ^_^

thanks. I will give those a try.

heathenchild wrote:tye-dyed eh?cool: i don't sell mine either....sometimes its nicer to know that yours is an original! my mom also suggested looking at stuffed animal constuction books...i have a hard time with different types of ears(mostly with seam allowance and turning...i can never seem to get points to NOT look lumpy) i noticed on your kitty hat they look great...care to share how?

I dont know really.. I just started... um.. I also havent sewed a day before in my life before that white hat up there... >>.... um all I do is try to keep the distance from the edge the same all the way through and uh.. hm.. I use pins to keep my fabric in place as i sew... <<