The Mad Duality Hat: a Mixed-Media Tale of Two Hatters From Wonderland and Gotham

When I saw the Mad Hatter Contest I was so excited, I couldn’t think of anything else except the Mad Hatter himself! So I started digging into who he really is… and guess what? I found out there are two Mad Hatters!

One is the lovable, tea-loving, chaotic character we all know from Alice in Wonderland I call him the Good Hatter. But then I came to know there’s also a Bad Hatter from Gotham City he’s actually a villain from the Batman universe and way darker and creepier.

So I thought, why not bring both of them into one hat? That became my theme: Good Hatter & Bad Hatter.

Good Hatter: Whimsical and kind, loves tea and riddles, playful, friendly, Mad in a magical way.

Bad Hatter: Dark and twisted, Clever but cruel , has a mad obsession over Alice.

Now here comes the twist! On top of the hat, I placed a tea cup just like how Alice’s story begins. I imagined her falling through that cup of tea, starting her journey inside the hat. First she ends up in the gloomy, creepy world of the Bad Hatter, who’s kinda obsessed with her (major red flag). So she quickly escapes and finally lands in the magical, colorful world of the Good Hatter

So basically with the help of this hat I have tried to tell a story of Alice in two different worlds with Good hatter and Bad Hater

Hat Supplies

1. Two big cardboard boxes
2. Scissors
3. Cutter
4. Scale
5. Pencil
6. Cello tape
7. 1 Carboard sheet
8. Epoxy clay
9. Used paper
10. Super glue

Decorating & Painting Supplies:

1. Acrylic colors
2. Paintbrushes

1. First, I measured the circumference of my head.

2. Then I took a cardboard sheet, marked the center, and aligned my head measurement template to the center. I traced the inner circle of my head measurement using a pencil.

3. Using a scale, I measured and drew the brim size I wanted, starting from the center point. This created the outline of the brim.

4. I cut out two identical brims from cardboard:

The first brim had the inner circle cut out (to fit the head).

The second brim was kept as a full, solid oval and later slit along the sides to give it a more rugged and stylized Mad Hatter appearance.

5. Next, I cut a long strip of cardboard in the desired height for the cylindrical body of the hat. To make it flexible, I carefully slit slightly along the surface of the strip using a cutter, so it could be easily bent into a round shape.

6. I then attached the strip into a cylindrical shape to match the inner circle of the first brim and glued it securely.

You’ll get a much better idea of each step by checking the images above.

To make the teacup, I cut some horizontal strips from the cardboard box. Then I peeled off the top layer of the cardboard to show the wavy pattern inside it gave the cup a nice design. Using these strips, I made circles from small to big to shape the teacup. I stuck them together using glue and cellotape. I also used the same kind of strip to make the handle of the cup, as you can see in the images.

I placed the teacup sideways on the hat to make it look like it’s tipping over. Then, using clay, I created the effect of tea spilling out from the cup. This made the whole hat look more fun and magical!. I did this because I wanted to show Alice traveling through the teacup, flowing with the tea into Wonderland :)

Cover the entire hat with reused paper by cutting it into small strips. Using glue, stick the strips all over the surface. This step helps reduce paint absorption by the cardboard and ensures a smoother, more polished finish when painting.

To make the slide that Alice would travel through, I took a cardboard sheet and measured it according to the head size of the hat (the same measurement I used earlier for making the cap). I cut the cardboard in the shape and size I wanted for the road, and removed the center part. Then I attached it to the hat. Since there were some gaps, I used epoxy clay to fix and secure everything in place.

I also added borders to the road so that Alice doesn't fall off while traveling through it :)

I painted the hat to reflect two contrasting sides the magical world of Wonderland and the dark, chaotic Gotham City. One half shows dreamy fairytale colors, while the other uses bold Gotham universe colors

On the side representing the Bad Hatter, who belongs to Gotham City, I added a “Welcome to Gotham City” sign.

When I researched even deeper I also placed a caution board with “Hg” The symbol for Mercury, as a nod to the real hat makers from the 18th and 19th centuries who used mercury in hat-making. Long exposure caused mercury poisoning, making them act oddly which is where the phrase “mad as a hatter” comes from.

To build this character’s world, I added a pocket watch and mechanical parts, giving it a steampunk, mysterious Gotham vibe. Also the time in the watch is 6:00 o'clock because that's when the tea party started!!

To highlight the classic Mad Hatter side, I added the iconic 10/6 card to the hat. I also crafted a small “Drink Me” bottle using clay inspired by the magical potion that made Alice shrink or grow in size.

To make Alice, I created a 3D model (STL file) and printed it using a 3D printer. Once printed, I carefully painted the figure to match the whimsical style of Wonderland. (STL file linked below)

And it’s done!

Honestly, I’m quite surprised I pulled it off. What started as pure imagination turned into a real, tangible piece of mad creativity. The process of researching these two drastically different worlds Alice’s whimsical Wonderland and the dark, gritty Gotham City and blending them into one single hat, with storytelling at its core, was a dream come true.

It was so much fun to build and paint, but now when I think about the idea I started with, it feels a little scary because it turned out to be way more difficult than I had imagined.

And honestly? I think I’m quite Mad as a hatter myself because not only did I think of doing this but I actually managed to bring it to life. It was fun!!!!!!!!!