"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Raincloud Hat

If there is one thing we always look for after a storm, it's RAINBOWS! Those unexpected bursts through the sky never fail to bring us running outside to look up with smiles on our faces!

RAINBOWS represent Symbols of Hope, Peace, and Serenity. Something very much needed during these uncertain times.

This INSPIRED me to create my "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Raincloud Hat in hopes that there is something better ahead.

One of my FAVORITE, all time Classic movies is The Wizard of Oz. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was the song made famous by Judy Garland. She sings about Hope and the journey to happiness. I thought that this would be a Perfect Name for my Creation!

Have FUN exploring a WORLD OF COLOR! We hope that soon the World will be a BRIGHTER place!

To make this Hat you will need the following craft items:

• a larger hat ( I used a Sun Hat with a bigger brim)

• cotton balls or cotton batten

• different lengths of colored string

• felt, fabric, foam, or paper

• colored pipe cleaners or different colors of bristol board

• bird clips (optional)

• chalk or markers

• paper plate (optional)

• hot glue gun, glue stick, and scissors

Begin by "fluffing" and "stretching" the cotton balls so they look "cloud like." You can use Cotton Batten to cover larger areas.

Take your Glue Gun and begin to glue the "Fluffed" cotton balls onto the hat. I found it easier to start on the brim of the hat and work my way up to the top. Ensure that the whole surface area is covered.

Once the hat is fully covered it is a good idea to shape it by making sure that all the cotton balls are in place and not loose. You may need to turn it around and check for spaces that can be filled or added too.

Let the hat dry for a few minutes so the glue sets.

Fold your material in half. Using a darker marker, draw the outline of several larger Raindrops (depending on how many you would like) onto the material of your choice. I used blue fabric.

Cut each of the Raindrops out using a pair of scissors.

Cut your string into different lengths.

In order to get a "Double Sided" Raindrop, place one of your cut out Raindrops on the table. Then glue a piece of string in the middle of the Raindrop. Next, place another Raindrop on top.

In order to glue the stringed Raindrops on the Hat, you may want to have someone wearing it. Take each stringed raindrop and place in a position under the hat. Carefully gluing it in place.

Continue to equally space the stringed Raindrops around the hat (Front, Sides, and Back).

You could try to turn the hat upside down and glue the stringed Raindrops that way, however you do have to ensure that the cotton balls do not begin to come apart.

Using a plate to make a perfect Arch, trace the half circle part of the plate onto each of your colored papers using a piece of chalk or marker.

Cut out each Colored Arch.

Glue (can be Hot or use a Glue Stick) the Colors of the Rainbow together (you can go in order: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet). They can also be placed in an order of Colors of your choosing.

Take the Rainbow that you made and Hot Glue it onto the Centre Top of the Hat. Using a Heavier Bristol Board or Thicker Paper, will help to keep the Rainbow more in place.

To secure the Rainbow, you could use Bird Clips or other decorative items for support and balance.

Now that all your HARD WORK is complete, it's time to SHOW OFF your COLORFUL CREATION!

I decided to take some Photographs of myself wearing my Hat in front of the Lake at my Cottage. Notice that I was able to BLEND in with the REAL CLOUDS in the background. The sun was also trying to break through after a Rainy Day!

Look, A RAINBOW came out!!!

I hope I was able to INSPIRE you! When things around us are sometimes dark, we all need a little COLOR in our lives! Wishing that you all see a RAINBOW soon and believe in GOOD things to come!!!