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Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
2h00

C'mon, denim goes with everything, right?
This is gonna be a new classic look for me. It's amazing how well the Rit Dye matches the actual denim fabric. Take a look, I added some upcycled jean fabric as a hat band with twisty floral accents. Perfecto!

Posted by edie d. from New York, New York, United States • Published See edie d.'s 41 projects »
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  • How to make a fedora hat. Denim Dip Dye Fedora - Step 1
    Step 1

    1) Cover your work surface with plastic covering
    2) Using a plastic spray bottle, presoak the sides and brim of hat.
    3) Grab your rubber gloves. Shake and measure ½ cup of Rit Denim Dye into one gallon of very hot 140˚ water and stir well.
    4) Holding the hat from the front point, dip brim-side down, straight into the dye bath halfway up the side of hat. Then lift a bit so only the brim is submerged into the dye bath. It's a little tricky to get a nice gradual tone evenly around the hat, so keep an eye on it. If one side has a darker shade, just dip momentarily to the other side to even it out. The total dye time took about 3-4 minutes.
    5) Still holding the hat from the top front point, rinse under cool water until the water runs clear. This keeps any excess dye flowing toward the darkest part of the hat along the brim.
    6) Reshape the hat and line with a layer of white tissue paper. Then stuff with newspaper and let set until dry. The tissue paper is to check that all the excess dye has been washed out. If there's any blue color-bleed on the tissue, go wash it out again. It's easy to miss it. I had to do a second rinse myself.

  • How to make a fedora hat. Denim Dip Dye Fedora - Step 2
    Step 2

    7) After the hat has dried, you can really embellish it any way you like. I cut a 1" strip from a pair of old jeans and hot glue'd on for a hat band.
    8) Then using the same jeans, I cut various strips and made these sweet raw-edged flowers. I learned this clever technique from a video that Erin Basset so generously made recently. Go check it out here:
    http://www.erinbassett.com/creativite/2010/02/7.html
    Cool, huh? Then I cut and hot glue'd a few denim leaves.

  • How to make a fedora hat. Denim Dip Dye Fedora - Step 3
    Step 3

    9) Oh, and just cause I can't control myself, I dyed a few white buttons to accent the flowers as well. It's really easy to dye buttons as well. Here's a tutorial for that technique too if you want to try it out.
    http://www.ediesfashionfactory.com/2010/03/its-color-wheel-of-dyed-bead-bracelets.html
    I also have that tutorial here on CO&K so you find it there too.

    There you have it, friends, my super-elegant, super-chic fedora. Say good-bye to bad hair days forevah!

  • How to make a fedora hat. Denim Dip Dye Fedora - Step 4
    Step 4

    Wow, the supply list feature is still kinda whacked!
    Here's what I used cause it's not showing up correctly on the top of the page.

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Comments

Natalie W.
Natalie W. · 4 projects
This is so cute! This is a great tutorial, and I can't wait to try it Happy
Reply
Mercedes Shirley Whittred
OMG!! this hat is beautifulHappy lovely i LOVE my chilbys anyways im defo gonna give one of these a try Happy x
Reply
edie d.
edie d. · New York, New York, US · 41 projects
Hi CraftingFairy,

Those plain straw fedoras are a dime a dozen here in NY. They sell them on the street for $10. I have seen them in regular stores like Target and Marshall's too. They all have some lame hat band which can be pulled off but just look for a good shape to the hat.

Good luck and let me know if you make one. Want see how it comes out.

My extra 2¢: Make sure to rinse it out REAL well. I had to do it twice to make sure and not dye my head.

xo
edie
Reply
CraftingFairy
CraftingFairy · Milford, Connecticut, US · 10 projects
Where did you find your straw fedora?! I'd really like to make one but not sure where to look!
Reply
rachel.
rachel. · U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, US · 9 projects
thats really cool!
Reply
Nicole Renee
Nicole Renee · Kansas City, Missouri, US · 16 projects
Edie, can I just say you are TOTALLY amazing! I always love your tutorials! Your stuff is so professional looking! Greeat job!! Happy
Reply

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