Lace Cowgirl Hat

Take your collection of tiny lace hats to the next level with the addition of this western-style hat! Perfect for any cowboy or girl, and the young and young-at-heart, this piece is easy to create and fun to accessorize with! Here's how to build your own adorable freestanding lace hat, using your embroidery machine and a little creative flair.

Start by stitching out your five pieces onto heavy duty water-soluble stabilizer using 40 wt. rayon thread and a 75/11 sharp needle for best results. Once you're done stitching, rinse and dry each piece completely. (Here's more on stitching freestanding lace).

First, grab your rectangular pieces. Hold your pieces long ends together, and sew them together using a simple zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

Now for the brim of the hat. Grab your three brim pieces and line them up in a crescent shape. Stitch a simple connecting stitch with your sewing machine between the two edges.

Leave the last edge open to make it easier to attach the crown of the hat.

Now to connect the brim of the hat to the crown! Line up the open edge of the brim with the short side of the hat top ("good" sides of the lace will be facing up).

Connect the edges of the lace together with a simple stitch using your sewing machine.

Use a zigzag stitch to connect the "crease" of the hat to the "pinch" of the hat. Simply fold the long section down and connect it to the adjacent edge. Do this on both sides.

If you'd rather hand sew this section of the hat; please do so.

Now time to hand sew! Use matching thread to connect the final seam of the hat.

To create the traditional curved brim of the cowboy hat, take a needle and thread, and thread a loop through the top edge of the brim and tie it to the crown of the hat. Do this for both sides of the hat. These should be nice and loose, they’re just to help hold the hat in place for starching.

Cut a small strip of scrap paper and roll it up into a little tube. Do this for each side.

Using spray starch will help keep the shape of your lace creation! Either way, let your hat sit overnight to let it take shape.

Once the starch has dried or you've let your piece sit for several hours, remove the paper rolls and snip the loose threads.

Your hat is fully constructed! Look how dandy it looks!

This tiny hat is perfect for adults, children, pets, and more! Make it your own by adding rhinestone, feather, and ribbon embellishments.