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Have old clothing that you can't find a use for? Have the feeling no one would want to buy that old shirt or sweater you own from the secondhand store? Turn it into a cute beret for you, a friend, or a little one!
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Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1-2 hours
Need: old clothing piece, sewing machine, scissors, thread. Optional: elastic.
1. Cut out the fabric pieces shown in the image above: a circle with a diameter of 40 cm; another identical circle but with a 27 cm hole cut out of the middle; and a band 15 cm high by about 56 cm wide (you should measure your own head for this number; leave room for a seam but not too much room or else the hat won't be snug enough. If you want to use elastic, cut a longer rectangle.)
2. Sew the donut-shaped piece to the circle, right sides together (the right side is the outside)
3. After you sew these together, you will have a seam on the inside of the hat. Go through and cut little triangles out of it, making sure not to hit the seam line. This helps the hat bend properly.
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5. Sew the band to the rest of the hat, right sides together; the circumference of the donut will be longer than the circumference of the head band, so you will have to gather the donut piece; you can either gather as you stitch it onto the band, or baste the donut-shaped piece and gather it that way, proceeding to sew the band on afterwards.
Note: If you like, you can cut a longer band in the beginning and add elastic to the band to make sure the beret fits snugly.
Here's a short tutorial on gathering if you don't know how.
Want more?
Alternative beret tutorials can be found here:
http://www.sewmodestclothing.com/makeaberet.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ADk96d8Qc
Thanks!!