How to Make Cosplay Hats

Fold your fleece and lining fabric in half. Measure and draw a half circle on each piece of fabric. The straight bottom edge should be half the circumference measurement, the height is the same as measured.

Determine how wide you would like your hat band and add 1 inch for the seam allowance. Then divide that number in half. From the fold of your fleece fabric measure and draw a rectangle that is half the circumference measurement for your hat band and the full width.

Draw your character's ears onto your fleece. Keep the fleece folded in half since each ear will be made of two layers of fabric. The bottom edge that you are sewing onto the hat should measure 5 inches. Make the ears as tall as you like. Draw semicircles for rounded ears, like bears. Draw triangles for pointy ears like cats. Whatever shape you make it needs to have a flat bottom edge to sew onto the hat. Cut around the outside edge of your ear shape, leaving a ½-inch seam allowance.

Draw and cut out your character's facial features from the scrap fleece. Look carefully at the shape and color of the eyes, nose and mouth and other features and try to mimic them.

Fold each semicircle in half, matching the lower edge. At the top center of your hat measure down 1 inch and mark. Measure over 1 inch along the top edge out from the fold and mark. Draw a diagonal line joining the two points.

Give your hat a better fit by cutting a notch out of the top of your hat. Keep the hat section folded in half, matching the edges of the notch. Pin if necessary. Use the pressure foot as a guide and sew the edges of the notch together. Do this for the remaining felt and lining hat sections.

Pin together the edges of each ear section, leaving the bottom edge open. Stitch around the pinned edge using the pressure foot as a guide.

Turn the ears right side out. Use a bit of scrap fleece to lightly stuff the ears. Give the ears some dimension by pinching them just a bit in the center and stitching across the bottom edge.

Lay one fleece half circle flat in front of you right side up. Measure and mark 2 inches from the center of your hat on both sides of the top edge or crown of you hat. This is for your ear placement.

Align the bottom edge of each ear with the top edge of the fleece section, using the ear placement markings as a guide. Pin them in place and stitch them together, using the pressure foot as a guide.

Lay the second fleece hat piece flat and place the facial features on it however you'd like. Stay a couple inches away from the edges or your features will be caught in the seams when you sew the hat together. Sew the facial features to the fleece hat section.

Lay the second fleece hat piece on top of the other and pin them right sides together with their corresponding piece. The ears and facial features should be on the inside.

Use the ½-inch sewing line and stitch the fleece sections together on the arc. Repeat for the lining fabric.

Turn your fleece hat right side out. Leave the lining section wrong side out and place it inside the fleece section. Match the seams and pin them together.

Sew the lining to the fleece hat around the lower edge on the ½-inch sewing line.

Take you hat band piece and stitch the short ends together, making a band of fabric. Insert the hat inside the hat band, right sides matching. Pin the edge of the hat to the edge of the hat band and stitch all the way around.

Turn the hat band down and turn the bottom edge of the hat band under ¼ inch. Stitch this seam down. Fold the hat band in half and tuck it up into the hat. The seam from the finished edge should line up with the stitching line where you sewed the lining to the hat. Pin in place and stitch the band to the hat.

Add any other details to your hat like whiskers or fangs on the hat band. Put on your hat and have fun with it.