Kindergarten is going crazy over these super easy, fun elf hats. Last year, we made them out of felt, which was nice, but this year we are all about the coziness of fleece! Also, the stretch makes up for any mistakes in sewing and cutting that might occur when 5 year olds are making their own hats.
Step 1: Trace your pattern. (Having a friend help you is nice)
Our pattern is a large triangle with a base of 25 inches and height of 12 1/2. When tracing, be sure to put the base on the stretchy part of the fabric. The kids were great at finding this.
Step 2: Cut out the triangle.
The pattern is large enough to make up for any cutting and tracing mistakes.
Step 3: Fold over the triangle to match corners.
If the sides are really uneven, you might need to do a little trimming here.
Step 4: Sew up the long end.
I had them start at the base and go straight up to the top. A running or whipstitch is fine. Take care to make smaller stitches so your hat doesn't have holes.
Step 5: Add a bell if you want.
This is like putting on a button on the top of the hat.
Step 6: Put on and have some fun!
As you can see, the hat has a nice point on both the top and the base. The bottom point can be worn sideways for a sassy look or even flipped up. It is also useful for helping to keep the hat on your head.
Kindergarten is going crazy over these super easy, fun elf hats. Last year, we made them out of felt, which was nice, but this year we are all about the coziness of fleece! Also, the stretch makes up for any mistakes in sewing and cutting that might occur when 5 year olds are making their own hats.
Step 1: Trace your pattern. (Having a friend help you is nice)
Our pattern is a large triangle with a base of 25 inches and height of 12 1/2. When tracing, be sure to put the base on the stretchy part of the fabric. The kids were great at finding this.
Step 2: Cut out the triangle.
The pattern is large enough to make up for any cutting and tracing mistakes.
Step 3: Fold over the triangle to match corners.
If the sides are really uneven, you might need to do a little trimming here.
Step 4: Sew up the long end.
I had them start at the base and go straight up to the top. A running or whipstitch is fine. Take care to make smaller stitches so your hat doesn't have holes.
Step 5: Add a bell if you want.
This is like putting on a button on the top of the hat.
Step 6: Put on and have some fun!
As you can see, the hat has a nice point on both the top and the base. The bottom point can be worn sideways for a sassy look or even flipped up. It is also useful for helping to keep the hat on your head.
i LOVE this! i'm going to have all the cousins do it when we get together for christmas. thanks so so much for sharing all your ideas. i wish i could be in your class :)
ReplyDeleteJust stumbled onto your blog and I am in love:-) Can you give me an idea of how many yards would be needed for a certain amount of students? I am thinking about doing it for a second grade holiday party but wondering how much fleece I would need to purchase for 25 students?
ReplyDeleteWe're going to have to go try this at my house. The kids would love it!
ReplyDeleteLisa, This would be super fun at a holiday party. It takes a lot of fleece because of the stretch factor - I got 4 hats/yard. Luckily, fleece is cheap right now and the scraps can be transformed into hat decorations, little stockings, and scarves. If you use felt, you don't get the stretch, but can get a lot more hats/yard. (I can't remember how many right now, maybe 8?)
ReplyDeleteFor the kids, I cut the fleece into large rectangles so they could trace the pattern. If you are short on time, you could have the hats pre-cut then the kids could just stitch them up. I would also recommend pre-threading needles. We used the kid-friendly size 22 sharp needles and craft thread.
Oh, I also wanted to mention that this hat is really one-size-fits-all. I can even wear it.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any more questions!
This was an awesome last-minute activity for our Brownie Scout meeting. I used felt (I had a bunch of green on hand) and pre-cut the triangles. The girls sewed up their hats and attached the bells. They were so proud of themselves and had a blast. Thanks for the great idea!
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