Sewing Tutorial: How to DIY a Corduroy Hat

Sachi’s Studio
by Sachi’s Studio
14 Materials
$15
5 Hours
Medium

Today, I'm using my free tulip hat pattern to make a corduroy hat with a cotton flannel lining.


With thick fabric like corduroy, you need to make an adjustment to the original pattern to make the pieces slightly larger and I will show you exactly how to do this to make this DIY winter hat.


Some of the techniques I use may be new to you but follow these steps and you'll have a great-looking hat.

Tools and materials:

  • Free tulip hat pattern
  • Printer and paper
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Corduroy fabric
  • Cotton flannel lining fabric
  • Tailor's chalk
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Steam iron
  • Tailor's ham
Adjusting tulip hat pattern

1. Adjust pattern

Print the pattern out.


Following the printed outline, draw a line 1/16 inch outside each side edge and 1/8 inch outside the bottom edge. Cut out the adjusted pattern piece.

Cutting the main pieces

2. Cut main pieces

Decide which way you want to use the nap of the corduroy.


For this project you will cut all the pieces in the same direction, with the ridges vertical.


Fold the pattern in half lengthways to line up the folded edge with the grain of the corduroy, then open it out and trace around it with tailor's chalk. 

Cutting the main pieces

Cutting along the inside edge of your chalk line, cut 6 pieces from a single layer of the main fabric.

Cutting the lining

3. Cut lining

Cut off the extra allowance you added to the original pattern. 


Align the arrow on the pattern parallel to the selvedge of the fabric.


Trace and cut the pattern 3 times from a double layer of the lining fabric, making 6 pieces in all. 

Sewing the seams

4. Sew seams

With right sides together, join 2 pieces of the main fabric along 1 side seam, taking 1/4 inch seam allowance.


Open up the seam and top stitch it on the right side on each side of the main seam.


Join a third piece to the other 2 and top stitch the seam open.

Sewing the seams

Sew the other 3 pieces together in the same way, so you have 2 sets of 3 pieces.

Sewing the seams


Joining the pieces

5. Join pieces


With the right sides together, sew the 2 pieces together and top stitch the seam open as before.

Sewing the lining

6. Sew lining

Join the lining pieces into 2 sets of 3 pieces in the same way as you did for the main fabric.


Join the two large pieces of lining together, leaving an opening about 4 inches long on one side, 2 inches above the lower edge. 

Attaching the lining

7. Attach lining

Place the main piece over the lining piece, right sides together, lining up the side seams. 


Stitch together along the bottom edge, with the lining piece on top.


If necessary, pull tight on the lining as you sew to keep the vertical seams aligned.

Understitching

8. Understitch

Understitch the bottom edge through the opening in the lining.


To do this push all the seam allowance to the right, away from the main fabric, and sew the lining to the seam allowance, close to the previous stitching.


Work slowly in small sections at a time. It's really worth doing this because it makes a huge difference to the finished look.

Finishing the DIY corduroy hat

9. Finishing

Pull the hat right side out through the opening and fingerpress around the bottom edge.


Hand or machine stitch the opening in the lining closed, folding the seam allowance to the inside.

Finishing the DIY corduroy hat

Working on the inside, steam press the bottom edge of the hat.


Pressing on to a tailor's ham can help to get a cleaner edge.

Completed DIY corduroy hat


Completed DIY corduroy hat

DIY corduroy hat

And here's my finished tulip hat! This was a quick and satisfying project to make.


I hope you've enjoyed seeing how to sew a hat and you want to give it a try. Let me know if you do in the comments below.


For another DIY hat project, check out my post on a Super Easy DIY Gift: How to Sew a Beanie.

Suggested materials:
  • Free tulip hat pattern
  • Printer and paper
  • Pencil
See all materials

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