How to Make a Top Hat
There are many costume ideas that call for top hats, such as leprechauns, Uncle Sam and Abraham Lincoln. You can easily make a cheap top hat from items around your house.
Here's what you need:
- Paper plate
- Construction paper or poster board, 2 sheets at least 12-by-18 inches (30-by-46 centimeters) large
- Glue or tape
- Scissors
- Paint, markers or other coloring instruments
- Tape measure
Here's what you do:
- Cut a circle out of the center of a paper plate. The plate rim should fit around your head. You will need both the hoop and circle.
- Measure the circumference of the hole in the paper plate.
- Make a rectangle out of your construction paper. The width should be 1-inch (2.5-centimeters) longer than your measurement in step 2. The rectangle should be between 8-inches (20-centimeters) and 12-inches (30-centimeters) tall. You may need to attach two sheets of paper together to get the right size.
- Hold the rectangle so it's wider than it is high. Cut eight slits into both the top and bottom edges of the paper. The slits should be 1-inch (2.5-centimeters) deep, perpendicular to the edge and evenly spaced.
- Roll the rectangle of paper into a cylinder so the shorter, uncut edges overlap by an inch (2.5 centimeters). Glue or tape the edges together.
- Fold all the bottom slits of the cylinder so they flare out from the base.
- Slide the hoop from the paper plate around the cylinder so it sits on the tabs. Fix it in place with tape or glue.
- Fold the top tabs of the cylinder down so they point to the center.
- Glue or tape the circle from the plate onto the tabs, to make the top of the hat.
- Paint or color your hat to fit your costume [source: Smithsonian, Crayola].
- Put on your hat! Wear it with pride!