Mini Tophat

What you will need:

• Thick Paper/Cardstock
• Cardboard
• Paperclips
• Masking Tape Roll / A circular tube which will be the size of hat
• Double Sided Tape
• School Glue
• Hot Glue
• Scissors
• Marking Pen/Sharpie
• Ruler
• Knife
• Decorations (Colorful paper, Ribbons, Diamonds, Flowers etc)

Trace out the center of the masking tape on the cardboard. (or whatever you are using as a tube to form the shape of the hat)

Mark out about an inch all the way around the circle you made using the masking tape. Connect the dots. Or You can trace out a bigger circle around the smaller one.

Cut out the circle.

Trace the same circles on cardstock, or trace the circle you cut out of cardboard.

Roughly cut out the circles, but leave enough room for tabs, so the edges can be completely covered.

Cut notches all the way around the outside and inside, up to the circles you drew.

Glue it onto the cardboard circle. Set it off to the side to dry.

Trace out the two circles one more time, or trace the circle you cut out of cardboard.

Cut it out. Cut the outside slightly smaller than the line you traced. (so you can't see it from the side)

Place it to the side for later.

Paperclip the paper into the size and shape you want. Make sure your paperclips are parallel to each other.

Slip the masking tape on the tube, trace the side that sits tight to the paper.

Roll it inside out, so that you dont have to cover up the marker later!

Cut the paper tube about half an inch longer than the line you just made (so you have extra to create tabs for the next step)

*Note You can make a straight cylinder instead, just paperclip it straight. When you make the top of the hat, it will be the same size as the inside of the masking tape.

Cut notches up to the line you drew on the last step.

Trace out the size circle you want for the top of the hat. Cut it out slightly bigger, so you can snip tabs into it. Fold them over to hide them.

I used the outside of the masking tape roll as the template for the top of the hat.

*Remember: If you are making a straight cylinder hat, you will need to make the top of the hat, the same size as the inside of the brim.

Put the tabs through the brim and hold it tight against the sides. Mark how big it is.

Balance the top inside the hat and trace where it sits.

Mark off where the top of the cylinder touches the other edge.

Unroll it and make a line from the marks you just made and the marks from how big the brim is.

Cut out the shape you just made, but leave a tab on one side. (so it has an overlap to attach the sides together)

Attach double sided tape to the edges. Dont take the covering off yet.

Use the scraps from the top of the cylinder.

Cut off a thin strip and attach it at their ends.

Double sided tape all the way around the thin strip you just made.

Slowly work your way around and stick the tabs onto the strip.

Before taping or gluing anything further, try fitting it together and see if everything works.

Make any adjustments. Use the last few steps.

Slowly work your way, hot gluing all the sides around the top.

Don't be afraid to reinforce the glue, Use too much, not too little!

Tape the sides of the hat together. Slowly work your way down to the tabs.

Glue the tabs to the bottom of the brim.

I also colored the white tabs and the side of the bottom cover to make it look a little more clean.

Glue on the bottom cover.

Keep in mind where the seam will be.

I like the clean look of covering the seam.

I rolled up some tinfoil and glued it into the seam.

I covered the side seam with colored tape and the seam between the brim and main structure, with a ribbon.

Add the extra little bits!

I hot glued in clips with wires for extra support. Experiment with headbands too!