What You Need to Know to Make a Braided Straw Hat?

Braided straw is also called "bundled straw." It comes in many different widths and thicknesses. Braided straw is sold at your local craft store and is used to make items such as baskets, place mats and straw hats. While there are many braided straw-hat designs, a basic straw sun hat is the easiest to make. Sew braided straw together to make two separate sections, which include a brim and a crown. These sections are then sewn together to make a basic straw hat.

1. Creating a Crown

   • 1
     Measure the circumference of your head. Place the measuring tape at the top of your right temple, extending it around the back of your head and across the top of your left temple. Bring the measuring tape around your forehead to where you started, ending on your right temple. Add half an inch to 1 full inch to your measurement to give the hat some breathing room.
   • 2
     Pull a length of braided straw from your 100-yard bundle. Do not cut the straw. Begin wrapping the straw around itself three to four times, based on your crown measurements. Wrap the straw so the braids overlap by at least one-fourth of an inch. Pin the braids to hold them in place, using with sewing pins.
   • 3
     Sew the tiered straw braids together using a needle and matching thread. Sew around the crown, zigzagging with your thread up and down in between each straw braid. Remove the sewing pins once the tier is securely sewn. Continue wrapping and sewing to create multiple overlapping tiers of braided straw.
   • 4
     Continually put the crown of the hat over your head, pulling it down to the top of your temples. Continue wrapping and sewing the braid until you reach the level at which you want the hat to extend from the top of your head.
   • 5
     Wrap the straw braid inward, toward the center of the hat and top of the crown. Sew and continue to wrap the braided straw until it covers over the top of the crown section of your hat. Once you reach the center of the crown, cut the straw braid. Fold the top center piece in and under. Sew the tail to the inside of the hat.

   Creating and Attaching a Brim

   • 1
     Set the crown of your hat onto a piece of 24-by-36-inch poster board. Trace around the outside of the hat’s crown. Remove the crown and make a point in the center of the crown’s circle on the poster board. Attach a piece of yarn to the center point on the poser board, using a sewing pin.
   • 2
     Extend the yarn outward from the center point until you reach the width that you want for the brim of your hat. The width of your hat’s brim is based on your preference. Use the yarn to draw a circle around the perimeter of the crown. Remove the yarn and the pin.
   • 3
     Cut the brim template from the piece of poster board. Use this template as a guide as you begin wrapping and sewing layers of straw braid to create a brim for your hat.
   • 4
     Wrap and sew layers of braided straw as they overlap at approximately one-fourth of an inch. When you reach the center of your brim template, cut the braided straw and fold the end under, sewing it to the inside of the brim.
   • 5
     Sew the inner lip of the crown to the outer lip of the brim on the inside of your braided straw hat. Reinforce your stitches using a zigzagging motion with your thread, to ensure the sections are secure.