Cutting the Cardboard Pieces
Draw out a 15 in (38 cm) cardboard circle to make your brim. Place a sturdy, large piece of cardboard on your workspace. Adjust a compass so the pencil is about 7 ⁄2 in (19 cm) away from the center spoke, then trace a circle onto the cardboard. Any type of sturdy cardboard will work well for this, like a flattened cardboard box or a leftover cereal box. If you’re confident in your own sketching and tracing skills, you can draw the circle freehand as well. You can also trace a round object with a 15 in (38 cm) diameter, like a flower pot. The overall size of your hat may depend on who you’re making it for. For instance, a 13 or 14 in (33 or 36 cm) wide hat may work better for a child.
Trace an 8 in (20 cm) inside of the larger circle. Readjust your compass so the pencil is 4 in (10 cm) away from the spoke. Arrange your compass in the center of the previously traced circle, then sketch out another circle in the center. You can tweak this measurement depending on the circumference of your own head. For instance, if you’re making a hat for a child, a 7 in (18 cm) opening might fit better.
Cut out both cardboard circles. Take a pair of scissors or a box cutter and begin cutting out the central circle first. Set the small piece of cardboard aside, then repeat the process by cutting out the larger circle. Try to keep these edges as smooth as possible so your top hat can look polished and professional. The smaller circle will serve as the top of your top hat, while the larger circle will serve as the brim.
Measure and trace 2 rectangles on a sheet of cardboard. Think about how tall you’d like your top hat to be. Use a soft measuring tape to measure around the smaller circle—once you have a rough measurement, divide it in half so you know how wide each rectangle needs to be. After deciding how tall you’d like your hat to be, sketch out the dimensions on a piece of flexible cardboard. Trace these rectangles on flexible cardboard, like a cereal box, as you’ll need to bend them as you make the hat. For instance, you can cut out 2 rectangles that are 12.5 by 6 in (32 by 15 cm). If you want to save time, you can also make a large rectangle that’s 25 by 6 in (64 by 15 cm), then bend and curve it into a cylindrical shape later on. A 5 to 6 in (13 to 15 cm) tall hat may look good on an adult, while a child may look better in a 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) top hat.
Cut out the cardboard rectangles to build the barrel of your hat. Use a box cutter or pair of scissors to cut out the 2 even rectangles, which will make up the center barrel of your top hat. Try to cut these rectangles so they’re a few millimeters wider around the edges of the sketched template, since you’ll be overlapping these rectangles to create the barrel of your hat. Set both rectangles next to one another to make sure that they’re around the same size.
Assembling the Hat with Felt
Trace felt shapes that match the dimensions of your hat. Place your cardboard templates on a large piece of dark felt. Outline the shapes on the felt with a white colored pencil so you know where to cut. Instead of tracing 2 rectangular sections of felt for the barrel of your hat, trace around both cardboard pieces to create a large felt rectangle. You only need 1 felt rectangle for the barrel of your top hat, as this will make your finished hat look more sleek and cohesive. To save time, you can trace around the outer and inner rim of your donut-shaped piece of cardboard. This will yield the 2 circular felt shapes that you need! You may want to cut out 2 donut-shaped pieces of felt to cover the top and bottom of the brim.
Cut out the individual felt pieces. Take a pair of fabric scissors and cut out the felt pieces you just traced. Set each felt piece aside so you can keep track of them. Try to make these pieces a few millimeters larger than the original cardboard sections of the hat, so it’s easier to make adjustments.
Tape the 2 cardboard rectangles together to form a cylinder. Hold and bend both rectangles next to one another so the edges overlap. Keep both pieces of cardboard steady, then apply strips of tape along the sides so the cardboard holds a cylindrical shape. As a precaution, measure the circumference of the cylinder to ensure that it fits in the brim. It may be easier to have a friend or family member hold the cardboard in place while you tape the pieces together. Any kind of durable tape works for this, though clear tape looks less obvious. The edges only need to overlap by a few millimeters, so the barrel of the hat fits snugly into the brim.
Fit and tape the cylinder into the brim hole of the larger circle. Center the cardboard cylinder over the open brim circle of the hat. Slide the cylinder into the opening so it fits snugly. For extra support, apply a few pieces of tape along the edges to hold both pieces of cardboard together. At this point, your cardboard will start to look like a top hat.Tip: To make the assembly process easier, cut small, 1 in (2.5 cm) notches along the base of the cardboard cylinder, leaving a 1 in (2.5 cm) gap between each notch. After sliding the cylinder into the brim of the hat, fold and glue the notches on the bottom of the hat’s brim.
Tape the small circle on top of your assembled hat. Place the small cardboard circle on top of the cylinder, where it should fit exactly. Place a few strips of clear, durable tape along the edges of this small circle to hold it in place. With this piece in place, the base of your top hat is now in place.
Hot glue the felt to your assembled hat. Arrange a donut-shaped piece of felt over the hat’s brim, the large, rectangular section of felt around the hat’s barrel, and the circular piece of felt on top of the hat. Work with 1 piece at a time, applying the glue in small sections to the bottom of the felt. Press the felt into place over the brim, barrel, and top of the hat. Fold and glue the felt over the edge of the brim to make the hat look more cohesive, and to cover the cardboard edge completely. Try to use small amounts of glue so it doesn’t look obvious on your finished hat. If you cut out a section piece of donut-shaped felt to cover the bottom of your hat’s brim, glue it into place at this time.
Glue extra decorations to the hat as a finishing touch. Add a long stretch of ribbon around the base of your hat to serve as a band, or glue some feathers as an accent. Play around with rhinestones, ribbons, and other decorations until you’re happy with how your hat looks! For example, you can glue a red ribbon band around the base of your hat to serve as a classy accent. For a more exotic touch, glue several feathers in 1 spot along the front or side of your hat.
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