Hats make me happy. I have an extensive collection of hats, from the prosaic baseball caps and fedoras, to extreme confections of lace, flowers, and feathers for historical reenactment. But a "remarkable hat out of an unusual material"? This could be a challenge.

And then I remembered that the local Steampunk Ball was happening, and that there was a hat contest. Well! My competitive costuming urges were aroused, and after some frantic sketching, I had an idea.

The first step would be to make the large gears I pictured as the jaunty brim of the hat. I found a company that would do custom laser cutting for a fairly reasonable price, and ordered a large gear, cut out of a light weight lexan.
I was thrilled when it arrived, and I could get to work on the hat.

For the hat base, my friend and I started with cheap foam hats from the craft store. I cut mine down into a small cap (see above), while my friend covered her's in burn-out velvet.

I covered mine in clock face printed fabric using spray adhesive.
I also trimmed the edge with lace.
Then, I discovered that the weight of the gear meant I would need more structural reinforcement. So I added a cardboard lining to the hat.
The next few steps are missing ( always forget to take photos!). I made a support to hold the gear at an angle, and painted it, then attached the support (which also housed the battery pack), the gear, and the LED lights (oh right, I forgot to mention that it lights up).

This is me trying to figure out how the lights are going to fit.

Then I got to add the decorations, which would also hide the support.

A giant flower, made of wire, and printed tissue.
Another large flower.

Then I added a bunch of other stuff: a bird, a crystal finial, white peacock feathers, and wired the lights in.

My final hat and costume.


I mentioned at the beginning that this was inspired by a hat contest. Well, the contest was curated, and I was selected to compete. I didn't win, but look at the competition!

Bonus silly hats I made for Halloween.
These were made from wrapping paper, poster board, paper plates, plastic bowls, fabric, foam, and LEDs. Extra credit for anyone who can identify the costumes.