What's a Mud Pie Bakery without chef hats?
Sure, I could have bought some costume hats, or some paper disposable chef hats from a restaurant supply, but I wanted something more fun, more connected to the party, and that would be a fun addition to any kid's dress up box. Also, remember, I'm cheap. When I look at the price of stuff, I very often think to myself, "I could totally make that." Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm not. ;-) This time, happily, I was right.
Materials for Making Your Own Chef Hat
- poster board
- muslin fabric (for the pouf part)
- decorative fabric (for the band)
- spray adhesive
- glue gun
- velcro
Start by cutting a circle out of the muslin fabric. I made circles that were 30" in diameter. If you want a less puffy, floppy hat, make the diameter of your circle smaller. Set the circle of fabric aside.
Cut a strip of poster board for the band of the hat. I made 4" tall bands, but you can certainly make them shorter or taller, depending on what kind of look you want your chef hat to have. Make the strips a couple inches longer than the heads of the people who will be wearing the hats.
Cut a piece of fabric about an inch larger on all sides than the piece of poster board.
Spray one side of the poster board with spray adhesive, and stick the fabric to the poster board strip. Flip over, and use a glue gun to glue the edges down. It'll be messy, but don't worry; that's the inside of the hat, and nobody will ever see it.
Glue one half of the velcro to the inside of the hat band, and the matching strip to the outside of the hat band at the opposite end.
Glue the circle of muslin fabric to the inside edge of the hat band.
Gather and ruffle as you glue along.
Before you know it, you'll have an adorable chef hat!
The kids absolutely loved them! My girls have worn theirs several times since the party, in fact.
I think I'm going to have to make some Christmas chef hats for baking gingerbread houses with the girls this year! Maybe I'll even manage to get a Christmas card out this year! (A girl can dream, right? Yeah, don't hold your breath waiting at your mailbox... )