Picture instructions ahead!
First, the materials:
1 rectangle of felt (anywhere from $0.25-0.99, depending on what kind you get and where)1 soft kid headband (I got mine in a 3-pack for $1 at Wal-Mart. Make sure it doesn't have gripping teeth!)
needle and matching thread (I used embroidery floss because it's what I had that matched)
something to trail down from the top; ribbon, tulle, fabric, whatever you want (I used tulle from a spool)
scrap paper to make a pattern and scissors
To make my pattern I used an add from the mail. I made a square that was as long on one side as the shortest side of the felt rectangle, then made a curve extending beyond the hypotenuse of the triangle half. (I hope the pictures make it clear.) I did some trial and error with the paper before I was happy with the shape.
Second, sewing the cone:
Once I cut the felt using the patter I put the sides together (overlapping one edge over the other a little bit) and started sewing; from the bottom. I did try at first from the top and going down, and I just couldn't make it work. So I started over and went from the bottom up, which was great for making a sort of area for the tulle to come out of, but meant that my hand had less and less room to work in the further up I went. So if you do this you may have to do your own trial and error to see what works best for you. I used a basic stitch with a very small stitch size on the visible size and a larger distance on the inside and it looks barely visible. 
Once I things got too tight to do anymore sewing I tied it off. Then I stuck in one end of the tulle and sewed up the edges with the tulle in where I was stitching. Instead of overlapping on the last part I put the two edges together, inside touching inside (I'm sure there is an official term for this that seamstresses use, but I don't know it.) The tulle (or whatever you end up using) covers most of this, so you don't really notice the difference.
Third, attaching the cone to the headband:
For this I first tried craft glue, but that did not work. A glue gun might have worked, if I could have found mine. I ended up sewing it on, and it's held well for 6 months of baby use; I'm not sure a glue gun application would have held as long.I didn't actually sew the felt onto the headband, since it was plastic under the fabric exterior. What I did was made a tiny stitch on the outside then under criss-crossed the band. Does that make sense? Maybe the pictures will be more clear.
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| Underside |
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| Outer side |
Don't forget when doing this to first put the headband on baby's head and then set the cone on top and mark where it should be attached; because it's not always where you'd first think looking at it. Ask me how I figured that out.
Not bad, right? The headband keeps it on better than an annoying elastic string under the chin. She's more interested in it now at almost 18 months than she was at 1 year, but it looked super cute in her birthday pictures. Now she has a book with a princess in it with a hat just like this one, so every time she wants to have the book read to her she wants to wear her hat, too. And she likes seeing it on me; she thinks it's funny. Because it's a flexible, kid sized headband, it works on both our heads; for a little while at least.
If you use this plan, I'd love to see what you make! And if you have suggestions for improvements, please comment so others can benefit from your experience!
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