How to Make a Miniature Hat the Easy Way

Making a 1:12 scale miniature hat can be fiddly and time-consuming. But these two were very simple and fun to do.

Use a plastic lid as a hat base in 1:12 scale

   I used plastic lids as the bases - yes, that's right, plastic lids. These hats are on display in the master bedroom and housekeeper's room of the Edwardian dolls house. They were definitely not designed to be placed on dolls' heads!  

  For the cream hat I cut down a shallow plastic lid till it was the right diameter to be in scale. I glued cream lace all over it, leaving one edge overhanging the front to give a veil effect. I bunched up a finer piece of lace and pulled it together with a few stitches to create the tall rosette. In my stash I found a feather which was perfect to drape across the top of the hat. The hatpin is a flower-shaped pink bead stuck onto a brass lace pin. To add interest to it I stuck little bindi jewelled dots on.

 The black hat was equally simple to make. I covered the plastic lid with a very thin black velvet ribbon and, once the glue had dried, I edged it with a fine picoh braid. This neatened up the edges. Bunched and folded fine black gauzy material created interest on the crown and a lace rosette added some height. A thick black feather finished it off nicely.

  You could make a variety of hats this way in all sizes and colours for your dolls house or miniature hat shop. Get creative! Experiment!