I thought this was neat about how to make a straw hat .

LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS

Charlotte's Straw Hat

When Pa harvested his crop of oats in late summer, he "cut the heads from several bundles of the oats, and brought the clean, bright, yellow straws to Ma."  Ma then made hats for everyone in the family by braiding the oat straws together, and sewing the braid around and around.  When she finished the hat, she shaped and dried it in the hot summer sun.

Even though Laura was only five years old, she carefully watched Ma and learned how to make a little hat for her rag doll, Charlotte.

To make a small straw hat for one of your dolls, you will need:

• A bundle of oat straws or a bundle of natural raffia (Raffia is available in craft stores and may be easier to locate than oat straws.
• Pan of water
• White thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Narrow ribbon
• Thimble (optional)
• Dried flowers (optional)

1. Soak the oat straws in water for several hours or overnight, until they are soft and flexible.  You do not need to soak the raffia strips.
2. Select three straws or raffia strips and knot the ends together firmly.
3. Braid the straws.  As you near the end of each straw, add another one to it by overlapping the ends about an inch and continuing to braid.
4. Keep braiding until you have 2 to 3 yards of braid.  Tie a knot in the end.  Soak the finished straw braid in the water as you work on it.  You do not have to soak the raffia braid.
5. Thread the needle.  Bring the two ends of the thread together, and tie a knot to hold them.  You now have a double thread to sew with.
6. Coil the braid into a flat round disk like a mat, and sew the edges together as you continue to coil.  This will be the top of the hat.
7. When the top of the hat is large enough for your doll (about 1" to 2" across), coil the braid tightly and at a right angle to the top of the hat so that the braid will draw in to make the crown, or the sides, of the hat.  Sew as you coil.
8. When the crown is deep enough (about 1/2" to 1" deep), coil the braid more loosely, as you did for the tip, at a right angle to the crown.  Sew the braid so that it lies flat.  This is the hat brim.
9. When the brim is as wide as you want, cut the end of the braid diagonally so that the long side of the point is on the inner edge of the brim.  Stitch the end firmly to the brim so that it will not unravel.
10. Soak the straw or raffia hat in warm water for a few minutes.
11. Remove the hat from the water, and shape it with your fingers so that the top is smooth, the crown is rounded, and the brim is flat.  Let the hat air-dry completely for a day or two.  If necessary, set some weighted jars or cans around the brim to keep it flat while it's drying.
12. Decorate the hat with the ribbon.  You can also add a few dried flowers, if you like.

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!