How to Reshape a Straw Hat With Creases & Wrinkles in 3 Simple Steps
I own a straw hat that I've had for many years, and on my most recent vacation, it got crushed in my backpack. Ever since then, it just looks crushed, floppy, and bent out of shape.
I was sad about that because it was one of my favorite hats, but I didn't want to let it go, and I was determined to find a way to fix it. Thankfully I found a solution! Today, I'm going to share with you how to reshape a straw hat and how to get creases out of a straw hat, with this simple steaming trick.
Tools and materials
- Straw hat
- Steamer (I used the Conair - GS23N Extreme Steam Hand Held Fabric Steamer with Dual Heat). You could also use a pot with boiling water on a stove.
1. Prepare the steamer
The first thing to do is fill your steamer up with water and switch it on to the high-heat setting. On the steamer I'm using, you have the option to lock it to stay on (so that you don't have to keep your finger on the on button).
2. Steam the sides
Take your steamer, hold it at the crease of the hat, and steam down. Do that all the way around the hat and on both sides. The steam reshapes the brim and removes the creases altogether.
3. Steam the crown
For the crown part of the hat, press it out from the inside so that the material isn't sinking in. Then proceed to steam it.
Tip: If you don't have a steamer, you can straighten up your hat by boiling a pot of water and holding the hat above it.
You can just steam that hat while you're holding it, but I found that the best way to do it was to put the ha on a flat surface like you're ironing it (I put it on my bed).
How to reshape a straw hat
This is the finished product. I can definitely tell the difference after steaming the entire hat, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. This brings me back to when I would wear it all the time after I first bought it, as it looks the same way it did back then.
There we have it, just in time for the summer! You no longer have to go out and buy a new straw hat. Just fix up your old one quickly and easily with a steamer or a boiling pot of water, and you're ready to hit the beach.
Let me know what you think of this tutorial on how to reshape a straw hat and the final result in the comments below.
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I've done this to just the brim of a hat, using a powerful steam iron. And you can reinforce that brim shape with spray starch and ironing until dry. My hat was a light neutral synthetic straw, so spray starch did not discolor it...just be cautious if the hat is a deep color and you want to try the starch trick.
Yes