This task got added to my to-do list when I first joined the site, although I didn't know immediately what to make the hat out of and what kind of hat to make. Soon after, however, I went grocery shopping and bought some of that cheap Big K soda. When I saw the strawberry-flavoured soda on the shelf, my heart leaped because

a.) I love strawberry soda
and
b.) those cans would make adorable hats, methinks.


I drank all of the soda over the course of a month or so (hey, vitamin water is better for you!) and ended up with five empty red cans with which to play. I would have had six, if someone at the store hadn't decided it would be a clever trick to switch one of the strawberry sodas with an orange one. :3 Which was also delicious!

The first can I ruined by cutting into too many small pieces. The next can I trimmed the top and bottom off but decided to use as my base. Then I cut another to make the lid.

Making the rim of the hat was the trickiest bit. For this I traced the hat and made a stencil. Then I cut up a can and had just barely enough aluminum for it. :) It was a lot of work and I was afraid to slice myself on the sharp metal, but I loved the results. I added ribbon around the base of the hat and glued two ribbons to the bottom which I used to attach bobby pins and a huge barrette to stick it to my head. I could have made it into a headband thing, but I've always loved the way little Loli hats appear to be made of magic when they're pinned on.


I finished the hat at night, took some pictures, posted one on facebook (where the hat received several positive reviews), and wore the hat all day the next day.

Along with the hat, I wore a pinstripe jacket I got at a thrift store and pinstripe bondage pants. To complete the look I added one of my Nightmare Before Christmas ties. I thought the outfit just looked good together, but I also think that it seemed a bit costume-y, which helped people deal with the silly hat in a positive way.

On the way to work a girl stopped me to ask me if I had made my hat and to tell me it looked really cool. A few more people stared at my hat on the way but nobody said anything. Then when I arrived at work at 9 am, I had to have my picture taken for the staff bulletin board. I chose to keep the hat on.

People around campus were generally appreciative of my new "fashion statement." Many wanted to know what it was "for", to which I would simply answer "the lols" or "sf0." One woman asked me if I was running for office. :/ Another girl went to open the door in front of me and ran into it, and mumbled an embarrassed apology complimenting my hat.

I wore the hat all the way through dinner and didn't take it off till I got to my dorm. I wore it to costume design and construction class, which was fun. :P I ran into an old friend who was waiting on the campus shuttle who told me she wanted to borrow it.

Overall, it was a good day. :)