2025 is the year I started to blog again and I am happy to work on a series of S-I-Y tutorials which has been requested a lot by you all... we'll explore simple sewing and DIY projects perfect for beginners. Let's dive into our first project: making conical birthday hats out of fabric - these go so well with a homely party you want throw , if you are looking to host a low waste birthday party at home with all those mom-made touches.
There is something so charming about putting together some simple party ideas which you plan and create by yourself and this one just adds to the homely feel and brings in a unique flavour to the celebrations...
So lets dive straight in...
Materials and Tools
To get started, gather the following materials and tools:
- Cotton fabric of your choice - I have used a printed twill cotton i got from crunkyfunky.com
- Canvas interface - available in local sewing supply stores, its much like buckram but washable, which makes it a very durable material to give structure to your projects.
- Paper hat template - i used an old paper hat free free to use the template I have copied from an old birthday cap i had.
- Tie-up cords - i used 3mm macrame cords, you can use satin ribbons/cotton cords or elastic.
- Sewing machine and basic sewing notions.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cut Out Fabric Pieces: Use the paper hat template to cut out one piece from your cotton fabric and one from the canvas interface.
- Mark Center Points: Take the canvas piece fold it in half to make a cone and mark the center points on the right side of the canvas interface - these are the points where you'll attach the tie-up cords.
- Cut out two cords per hat you make - i cut my cords 12 inches long.
- Sew Curved Seam: Place the two fabric pieces right sides facing each other and sew along the curved seam. Make sure to insert the cords at the positions you have marked and back stitch well to hold the cords in place when you stitch.
- Turn Inside Out: Carefully turn the hat inside out to hide the seams.- press the seam with your fingers.
- Finish Straight Seam: Sew along the straight seam to finish the hat. and then turn it right side out.
- Add Details: Embellish your hat with handmade details to give it a personal touch. I used a pom pom lace edge, you can add ribbons or laces as you like .
Final Look
And that's it! You now have a beautiful conical birthday hat. I made two hats in under an hour, and I'm excited to make more. Will you give this project a try?
For a quick video tutorial head here.