How To Sew A Simple Straw Hat Band

Hey, friends! I thought I'd chime in with a little DIY post.





But first? Story-time. Ever since I watched "Hope Floats" with Sandra Bullock, I've wanted a cute straw brimmed hat.

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Years ago, I found one I liked at Wal-Mart and have used it for yard work (and fishing trips) ever since. I LOVE my hat and I LOVE yard work.

Consequently, my hat has seen better days. 

You guys, it is plain old nasty.

Utah is a hot place, and apparently, my head is also a hot place. I would just wash it, but I'm pretty sure you can't wash straw hats. I would just throw it away and buy a new one, but I'm not ready to say goodbye just yet.

So, alas, I decided to make a fabric hat band that hides my hat's sweat stains. . . and the best part? It comes right off, so it can be switched out and washed when it gets dirty.

It was so much fun, I thought YOU'D like to make one, too! 

What you'll need:

- fabric measuring tape

- cotton/blend fabric

-matching thread

-sewing machine

-cutting mat/rotary cutter (optional)

-pinking shears (optional)

-sewing pins (optional)

To start, measure the circumference of your hat. Mine was 23" around.

Next, measure how tall you want your fabric band to be. If you're head is impressively hot like mine, you'll probably want it to be at least 2" high.

Now, find some cute cotton fabric from your stash and get cuttin'! 

You're going to want to include a seam allowance, so make sure you give yourself some extra fabric to work with. Take your desired circumference and add 1". Take your desired band height and double it, then add 1". 

For example, the desired dimensions of my hat band were 23" x 2", so I cut my fabric rectangle to be 24" x 5". 

Once you have your rectangle all cut out, you're going to want to hem the long edges. Start by laying your fabric"right side" facing down on the ironing board. Fold over the edge 1/4" and iron flat. Once you're finished, fold the same edge over another 1/4" and iron flat. Repeat on the other long (24") side.

Now, really quick, let's talk about one shortcut that you can take. You can fold it over 1/4" once on both sides and call it a day. That's what I did on my first (flowery) one and it works like a charm! You're folding the whole thing in half later on, so the raw edges will be taken care of either way. Keep in mind, if you do it the "shortcut" way and you fold over your edges by 1/4", you'll end up with a slightly thicker band.




If you'd like to take the "shortcut" but keep your band nice and narrow, simply fold over each side 1/2" instead of 1/4". Capeesh?

Once your long edges are ironed down, fold the band in half, "right sides" together. 

Sew along the short (5") side, about 1" away from the raw edge.

Now you have created a circle! YAY! Try the band on your hat to make sure it fits. You want it snug enough that it won't fall off, but not too tight. 

If your band is too loose, then try sewing it a little farther from the raw edge. For example, depending on how loose the band is, sew 1/4" - 1/2" away from the line you just finished (in other words: 1 1/4" - 1 1/2" away from the raw edge instead of 1"). Does that make sense? Fit in on your hat again and make adjustments as needed. 

If your band is too tight, unpick your seam and try sewing it 3/4" away from the raw edge (instead of 1"). We left 1" of wiggle room for a good reason :)

If all is well, then use some pinking shears to trim down the raw edges on your short (5") side. Iron them open.

NOTE: If you don't have pinking shears, simply trim the edges down using normal scissors.

Fold your band in half, "wrong sides" facing. We're lining up the edges that we hemmed down very first. Follow along the fold with your iron to make sure it stays put. You're welcome to put pins in to help hold it in place, but I'm far too lazy for that.

Now we are going to top stitch around both edges, so make sure you adjust your stitch length to as long as it goes. For my Brother sewing machine, I like to top stitch at the length 4.5 or 5.0.

You'll want to start/stop sewing at the seam (the one we used the pinking shears on) to help it look nice and professional. Top stitch about 1/4" from the edge, being sure to catch the hem we made when we ironed 1/4" and 1/4".

Once you top stitched that side, go ahead and top stitch the folded side, too.

And you're done! Slide that puppy onto your hat and admire your craftiness. And if you're anything like me, you're going to want to make at least two! :)

So, what are you waiting for? Go make one to match every single outfit you own! I know I want to :)


Thanks for tuning in!

Make sure to comment below with any questions and with pictures of your beautiful band-ed hats!