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| The Bat Hat (reworked from a few 99¢ Only Store decorations). The Sweet Magnolia Blossom (built on the lid of a candy container). The World's Biggest Munchkin (a manipulated, clearance-aisle placemat). |
For once in my hat-making/trimming career (a resumé line item yet to be fully exploited), I decided to go a completely conventional route by starting with an actual and properly-constructed hat base. This time, where others would see a souvenir sunhat from Chinatown, I too would see a souvenir sunhat from Chinatown. I mean...it's a hat. But in this simple souvenir sunhat, I would also envision a blank canvas just dying for a bit of wacky tacky adornment. It was time to fire up every man's favorite power tool - the old hot glue gun!
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| One of the most life-affirming moments one can ever experience comes when all of the supplies required to accomplish a project are already on hand. One time (more than a decade ago) a friend tried unsuccessfully to teach me elementary crochet, so naturally, I still had a million colors of yarn poised at the ready; the green coordinated well with the fabric I was using to make Mary a playsuit. Knowing that a giant pom pom was unquestionably the icing on this conical cake, I set about to bind the edge of the hat and make a scarf tie with floral appliqués from the fashion fabric. |
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| When one pom pom won't suffice, opt for pom pom trim (some prefer to call it ball fringe but I am not among them). Using a range of hues from the rich ric rac inheritance bequeathed by my great-grandmother, I applied a combination of my two favorite embellishments. |
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| I guess that there's no escaping the pom pom. To achieve the pom pom topper on this hat, I cut thin strips of an African-print fabric (China, Africa, America??? How's that for a multicultural headwear?). I gathered rows of the same fabric to make the ruffled stripes and the kerchief tie. |
I was surprised to derive nearly as much satisfaction from decorating conventional hats as I do from making them from found objects and repurposed materials. Yes, this turn at conventional hat decorating was definitely rewarding but I still needed to explore my more unconventional roots.
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| When I came upon this beauty at the thrift store, I was quick to grab it, thinking I was the luckiest mock-milliner in the world to find a hat worthy of Gidget's sun-allergic best friend, LaRue. It wasn't until I saw the plastic liner that I realized it was a woven plant pot. |
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| Adhering to the three-poms-are-better-than-one rule, I choose to believe that this is what the designers at Hot Dog on a Stick were going for before they settled on their best design effort. |
Have you tried your hand at hat making or hat trimming? Have you found the joy available to you in home pom-pom making? I have at least one hundred more ideas but I need to wait for Chinatown to replenish their hat supply. I guess I'll use that time to put the finishing touches on all the matching outfits. Stay tuned!
Cheers!
Mr. Tiny
