Crochet guide
Decorating a crochet hat
A plain crochet hat is a blank to decorate. Most decorations are made as separate pieces and sewn on with a yarn needle: a pom pom on top, a flower or a bow at the side, a pair of ears. Others are worked into the hat itself, such as a stripe of another color or an edging on the brim.
What goes on, and how it is fixed
| Decoration | How it is fixed on |
|---|---|
| Pom pom | Tied on with its own tie strings, or sewn on |
| Flower or other applique | Sewn on with the tail left when it was made |
| Bow | Sewn on |
| Ears | Sewn on with the tail left on each one |
| Buttons | Sewn on with thread or yarn |
| Stripe or band of color | Worked in, by changing yarn |
| Embroidery | Stitched onto the finished fabric |
| Edging | Worked onto the bottom edge |
| Braids | Knotted through the edge of an ear flap |
Pieces that are sewn on
Most decorations are small pieces made on their own. Leave a long tail of yarn when you fasten each one off, and use that tail and a yarn needle to sew the piece to the hat.
- A pom pom goes on the very top, at the center of the crown. Tie it on with its own tie strings, or sew it down. Making pom poms shows how to make one.
- A flower is worked from a small ring outward, with a round of petals. One flower, or several with a leaf or two, can be arranged anywhere on the hat. Any small flat shape can be sewn on the same way, such as a heart.
- A bow is sewn on like a flower. A simple one is a small rectangle of crochet with yarn wrapped tightly around its middle.
- Ears are made in pairs and sewn to the hat. Each can be a single flat piece, or two layers joined around the edge.
- Buttons add a plain finishing touch. Yarn that will not go through the holes of a button can be split into thinner strands, or sewing thread can be used instead.
Decorations worked into the hat
- A stripe or a band in another color needs no extra piece. Work a round or two in one color, then switch to another, or work the whole band in a second color. Stripes covers the color change.
- Embroidery is stitched over the finished fabric. It suits a smooth stitch pattern. Seeds on a strawberry hat and a mouth on a frog hat are small examples.
- An edging is worked around the bottom edge of the hat after it is finished. A round of single crochet, which is double crochet in United Kingdom terms, makes an even line to build on. Over it you can work reverse single crochet for a corded edge, shells for a scalloped one or picots for small bumps.
- Braids hang from the tips of ear flaps. Fold a few strands of yarn in half, pull the fold through the edge with a hook, pass the ends through the loop and braid them.
Decorations that come off
A decoration does not have to be sewn down for good. A flower held by a button at its center, or a bow held by sew-on snaps, can be taken off. That lets you swap one decoration for another, or take it off before the hat is washed.
Where to go next
- How a crochet hat is made, for the hat itself.
- Making pom poms, for the pom pom.
- Fringe and tassels, for tassels and cut strands.
- Stripes, for changing color at a round.