Fashion Some "Blast from the Past" Hats for Students

Here are some quick how-tos for headgear. You'll need hot glue, stiff felt in sheets measuring 12 ¼" x 18", and regular felt in sheets measuring 9" x 12".


Abe Lincoln and Uncle Sam
Create stove pope hats by cutting stiff felt in 10" sections. Roll sheet into tube and staple. Cut a circle with a 12 1/2" diameter out of the stiff felt. Stand the tube shape on the circle. Punch out the inside of the circle by cutting pie-shaped pieces from the center. Fold onto the tube and hot glue in place. For Uncle Sam, hot glue white stars and strips and a blue band.

Statue of Liberty
Download the template for Liberty's crown (PDF) and crown detail (PDF). Cut out the two pieces from stiff green felt. To create torch, download pattern (PDF), roll green felt into a cone shape and hot glue. Add a green felt band and a flame of orange felt to the top of the torch.

American Eagle
Staple two sheets of soft white felt together. Place sheets on top of head and gather in the back near the nape of the neck. Secure the sheets with a rubber band. Cut feather shapes out of more soft white felt and affix to the base with hot glue. Add a yellow beak to the front of the hat.

Betsy Ross
Staple two sheets of soft white felt together. Place sheets on top of head and gather in the back near the nape of the neck. Secure the sheets with a rubber band. Using the hat template (PDF) and bonnet detail (PDF), and stiff white felt, draw and cut out front of the bonnet. Attach the front of the bonnet to the base with hot glue. Add light blue felt details to the front of the hat.