Decorating Straw Hats
Straw hats, large and small, are fun to decorate as an activity at parties or to hang on the wall. This is a guide about
decorating straw hats.Solutions
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Mother's Day Flowered Hat
This is a simple, very inexpensive project that you can make for your own front door, but also makes a great Mother's Day gift for a mom or grandmother.
Approximate Time: 20 - 30 min. will require additional time if you paint the hat
Supplies:
- used straw hat
- spray paint
- metal ring (optional)
- wreath wire (optional)
- silk flowers - can be previously used
- scissors
- quick-dry craft glue or glue gun
- pop-top ring from can, cafe curtain ring, or something similar
- small piece of wire or needle and thread
Instructions:
- Dig out an old straw hat or pick one up at a yard sale. Spray paint in color of choice and allow to dry.
- (Optional) Use wreath wire, which is very fine, to fasten a metal hoop to the bottom/back of the hat to keep the brim straight. I used a metal ring I pulled from an old lamp shade (waste not, want not) and it was perfect. Your hat may or may not need this addition.
- Cut the blossoms from several silk flowers and glue them to the hat where the "bowl" meets the brim. You can put them all around or just in a selected location. A ribbon bow can also be added, if it suits you.
- To add a hanger, you can glue the bottom section of a can pop-top pull, or sew a cafe curtain ring (or something similar) to the back.
By Marie from West Dundee, IL
Sunflowers painted on straw hats.
Approximate Time 1 hour
Supplies:
- straw hats
- paint
- brushes
- sealer (optional)
Instructions:
Since everyone's sunflowers are in bloom now, I thought I would share this craft.
- Take the straw hats any size you want and paint the center or top of hat brown as in picture, let dry.
- Paint the petals on the hat as in picture, let dry.
- Paint in between the pedals green and paint on black dots on the brown. Let dry.
- You can seal if you like.
By Sandy from Bluff City, TN
What says summer more than a little lady bug. Here is a hat that will make you want to go sit in the garden with a large glass of ice tea and just watch the world go by. It also will make a stylish accessory for the summer time barbecues for us ladies that need to wear a hat during the summer to protect our skin.
I hope you have a wonderful time making this little "bug." You can also make this for your favorite little girl by using a smaller hat. This would also make a great hat for a Kentucky Derby party, A Victorian Tea party or a Red Hat Society function.
These are just guidelines. You could change the colors, you could add flowers, you could make the streamers longer in the back. These are easy to make and if you are buying hats at thrift stores you will find many shapes of straw hats.
You can find inspiration for your creations by Googling Victorian hats or Kentucky Derby hats.
Time: One afternoon
Supplies:
- 1 straw hat (I found mine at a thrift store, but you can buy them at craft stores and at some dollar stores they run about $2)
- gloss red spray paint
- black sheer wire edged ribbon
- small amount of metallic gold wire edged ribbon
- a small amount of gold beads on wire
- glue gun and glue or fabric glue
Instructions:
- Spray paint hat with the bright red spray paint. Paint both the inside and out. I used some gloss red spray paint that I had left over from Christmas.
- To make the hat band: With a piece of ribbon measure loosely around the bottom of the base.
- Fold black sheer ribbon in half and loosely wrap the bead wire around the ribbon.
- Hot glue both of them to back of hat.
- Make one big fluffy bow with the gold and black sheer ribbon and then hot glue this to the back of the hat covering the two ends of the hat band.
By Debra from Colorado Springs, CO
These adorable little hats can be hung on the wall, added to wreaths, used as gift bag tie-ons, or as refrigerator magnets. You can also make a few to sell at a craft fair.
They are easy to make and allow you to make use of all the bits and pieces of leftover craft materials you have lying around.

Read More...I found a cute set of mini straw hats and then found one that they would fit on and went to town!

Read More...Just glue on the things you have then tie ribbon around and hang as a decoration. Just use your imagination.

Read More...Here's a cute hat made from a straw hat and craft foam.

Read More...Questions
Ask a QuestionHere are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.
I need ideas for how to decorate a straw hat for a mother's day banquet.
Ruth from Russell
Answers
By londa (Guest Post)
May 7, 20080 found this helpful
Ribbon and silk flowers and lace have always worked well for me. Just gather up what you can lay your hands on, and try out various ways.
Once I put a large rinestone pin on my garden party hat, and that was a big hit, and it was real, real simple.
May 8, 20080 found this helpful
Find fake flowers at a thrift shop, rinse them up in the bathtub if you don't have a kitchen sink sprayer, and cut them up to hot-glue around the brim.
Answer this Question...I would like to know where I can buy books or get instruction ideas for decorating large women's straw hats for home decor.
By Esther from Dawsonville, GA
Answers
November 20, 20100 found this helpful
I would tie a ribbon about 1 inch wide around it like for a hat band and tie it in a bow with streamers hanging, like a woman would wear it with the streamers hanging in the back. Then glue some silk flowere wherever you would want to on the hat. It is more of matter of how you like the appearance rather that what a book might show.
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