Home Sign Up!

Explore Community Submit

DIY Squid Hat

by goosezilla on November 23, 2008 Table of Contents intro: DIY Squid Hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 1: Cut Out Pattern Pieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . step 2: Sew hat panels and fin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 9

step 3: Attach fin to hat panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 step 4: Attach hat brim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 step 5: Tentacle time! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 step 6: Attaching Tentacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 step 7: Attach the eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 step 8: Done! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Customized Instructable T-shirts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

intro: DIY Squid Hat

Free Squid Hat Pattern with pictures! Time to make: 3-4 hours from start to finish. Supply List: Polar Fleece (about 2 feet) All Purpose Thread Velcro or snaps Large Craft Eyes (I used 35 mm) Download and print the pattern images in this step.

Image Notes 1. Grey area is seam allowance. You can make this bigger or smaller if you want. 2. Cut out 4 of these pieces. 3. Cut out 8 of these pieces.

Image Notes 1. Her mouth is saying hooray... But her eyes are saying I will destroy your soul huuuu-man!!!!!!

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Only half the length of this piece is shown, 11 inches. The length of this piece should total 22 inches. 2. You can place this end where your fabric folds over so you only have to cut one piece out. 3. You need either one 22 in piece or two connected 11 in pieces. Not both! 4. This piece will be your hat brim.

Image Notes 1. Cut out 4 of these pieces. 2. Cut out 2 of these pieces. 3. Place this part along the edge of a folded piece of fabric. That way you only need to cut out 2 pieces. If you can't do this then cut out 4 pieces and sew 2 of them together along this line.

Image Notes 1. Fin piece spread out. 2. 8 small tentacle sides. 3. 4 large tentacle sides. 4. 4 hat sides. 5. One long hat brim side.

Image Notes 1. 1/4 in is sewn on the outside and around the edge of the hat to add texture and stability to the fin. You can add a whole bunch of rows or sew in funky fun shapes.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. This needs to be folded in half lengthwise with the outside of the fabric on the outside. No inverting this time!

Image Notes 1. Inside of the hat with brim flipped up on the outside.

Image Notes 1. Brim flipped down.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Only two hat panels are sewn together.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. I'm inverting the tentacle by pushing my thumb through the bottom.

Image Notes 1. Inside out tentacle sewn together.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

2. Right side out tentacle sewn together. 3. Right side out tentacle sewn together.

Image Notes 1. The fin is sandwhiched between the panels and attached with pins. I also pinned around the side of the hat.

Image Notes 1. After I pinned the hat I opened it up. Your fin will look all scrunchy and awful until you flip the hat right side out later.

Image Notes

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

1. Flipped right side out. It no longer looks scrunchy! Yay!

step 1: Cut Out Pattern Pieces

Print out pattern and cut out. To save time, fold your fabric in half so that you are cutting out two pieces instead of one. Place on polar fleece and cut out pattern. I cut mine free form and just held the pattern down, but it might be a better idea to pin the paper to the fabric first. Note: Before cutting decide if you want a hat brim that is stretchy or one that fits more precisely. If you want a stretchy brim, which I recommend, pull on your fabric to figure out which way the fabric stretches. Once you've got that place your pattern along the direction of the stretch. If you don't want your brim to stretch place it in the direction the fabric does not stretch.

Image Notes 1. Grey area is seam allowance. You can make this bigger or smaller if you want. 2. Cut out 4 of these pieces. 3. Cut out 8 of these pieces.

Image Notes 1. Only half the length of this piece is shown, 11 inches. The length of this piece should total 22 inches. 2. You can place this end where your fabric folds over so you only have to cut one piece out. 3. You need either one 22 in piece or two connected 11 in pieces. Not both! 4. This piece will be your hat brim.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Fin piece spread out. 2. 8 small tentacle sides. 3. 4 large tentacle sides. 4. 4 hat sides. 5. One long hat brim side.

Image Notes 1. Cut out 4 of these pieces. 2. Cut out 2 of these pieces. 3. Place this part along the edge of a folded piece of fabric. That way you only need to cut out 2 pieces. If you can't do this then cut out 4 pieces and sew 2 of them together along this line.

step 2: Sew hat panels and fin

Pick up two panels of the hat pieces and place them so that the side of the hat you want on the finished hat outside is on the inside, between the hat panels. Match the points together and sew along one of the curved sides. Repeat on the two hat panels left. Do not sew all four together yet! Take the triangle shaped fin pieces and place them together with the outside of the hat on the inside. Sew along the short edges all the way around the large edges. Be sure to leave the small inside triangle shape open. Flip the fin piece right side out. Use a pen or skewer to pop the points out. Sew a 1/4 in around the edge of the fin. This adds stability and texture.

Image Notes

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

1. 1/4 in is sewn on the outside and around the edge of the hat to add texture and stability to the fin. You can add a whole bunch of rows or sew in funky fun shapes. Image Notes 1. Only two hat panels are sewn together.

step 3: Attach fin to hat panels

Place the fin with the bottom of the fin along the top edge of the inside out hat panels. It won't just fit there, you have to hold it in place with pins. It is important to make sure the middle of your fin aligns with the seam lines of the hat panels. Otherwise the fin will be sewn on crooked.( Which could be fun!) After pinning sew 1/4 in from one end of the hat to the other. Be sure to leave the bottom of the hat open.

Image Notes 1. The fin is sandwhiched between the panels and attached with pins. I also pinned around the side of the hat.

Image Notes 1. After I pinned the hat I opened it up. Your fin will look all scrunchy and awful until you flip the hat right side out later.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Flipped right side out. It no longer looks scrunchy! Yay!

step 4: Attach hat brim.

Take your hat brim piece and sew the short end(s) together. You will be left with a big loop. Fold this piece lengthwise with the good side of the fabric on the outside. We don't need to flip this one inside out. Pin the open end of the brim to the bottom of the hat panels. The closed end of the brim should be on the outside of your hat, pointing towards the fin. Sew 1/4 in along brim. If you want this part to look a bit more refined use a stitch that goes over the edge of the fabric or a serger if you've got one. I think most sewing machines have fake serger stitches these days. Flip brim down. After the brim is attached lay the hat so that the hat is folded in half from the side. You should have the front and back visible. Sew 1/4 in from the seam along the front of the hat(don't go over the brim!) and stop just before the fin. This will add a nice little ridge detail along the front of the hat which provides stability to the hat top. It keeps your fin perky!

Image Notes 1. This needs to be folded in half lengthwise with the outside of the fabric on the outside. No inverting this time!

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Brim flipped down.

step 5: Tentacle time!

You've been waiting for it, the fun stuff! Match your tentacle pieces up with the fabric inside out. 2 pieces per part. Sew along edges leaving the bottom bit open. If you sew this shut you can't invert the tentacle. Flip your tentacles inside out by pushing your thumb up through them and rolling the fabric down with your other hand.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Inside out tentacle sewn together. 2. Right side out tentacle sewn together. 3. Right side out tentacle sewn together.

Image Notes 1. I'm inverting the tentacle by pushing my thumb through the bottom.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

step 6: Attaching Tentacles

Pin the two large tentacles to the inside of the hat along the sides. Line the middle of the tentacle up with the seam line of the hat panel sides. This is the same line the fin is attached to. I keep the brim flipped up for this part. Try to sew directly where the brim was sewn to the hat. you may want to sew over this a couple of times because the long tentacles get tugged a lot. Look at your paper hat pattern and match up the small tentacles where indicated on your fabric. They should be roughly 1 tentacle width apart and fold over the flipped up brim a bit. Fold the open part of the tentacle down with the corners angled towards the center of the tentacle. This is to hide the fabric ends. Pin the tentacles down where you want them and sew along the folded top part of the tentacle. Optional: To keep your tentacles down try this. Cut small squares of velcro and attach them to the underside of your tentacle and the flipped up side of your brim. Make sure you line up the pieces before attaching them. I used self adhesive industrial strength velcro. Be sure that the female(soft) piece of velcro is what you use on the hat brim. If you flip the brim down you will be happy you did! The male velcro is very scratchy and abrasive on the skin.

Image Notes 1. Inside of the hat with brim flipped up on the outside.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Male side of velcro. 2. Female side of velcro.

step 7: Attach the eyes

I put my eyes above the furthest tentacles and to the sides. The pattern I made marks this spot. However, feel free to put your eyes anywhere you like, and as many as you like! On most craft eyes there is a metal bit that you snap on over the stem of the eye. This leaves the stem sticking out which I think is uncomfortable, let alone dangerous. Using a dremel with a sanding disc I remove the excess stem. This is usually short enough for the kinds of eyes I use. However, if you still have more stem sticking out I've been using fasteel, which is a two part epoxy putty, to cover the ends. It is super hard and cures within minutes. I then cover the fasteel with a bit of the fleece. I think I may have super glued it on, so ghetto...

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Male side of velcro. 2. Female side of velcro.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Female side(soft) velcro 2. Male side(hooked) velcro.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Brim is folded down here. Female velcro side is inside of hat now.

step 8: Done!
Now go forth and conquer the world my squid army! Edit: Next time I make one of these I will be drilling holes into my squidy eyes and inserting LEDs. This tutorial is nice for doing just that.

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Image Notes 1. Her mouth is saying hooray... But her eyes are saying I will destroy your soul huuuu-man!!!!!!

Related Instructables

Customizable Fleece Hats by ryzellon

Make a tri-fold pirate hat! by TheCaptain

Duct Tape Hat by Slangan1117

How to Make Portal/Rickroll Cool Hats! Cake by (video) by giannyl Papersatan

Newspaper Hat! by Slangan1117

Dread Crocheted Cthulhu (slideshow) by Fruppi

Cold Head Days by rachel

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

Advertisements Customized Instructable T-shirts

Comments
31 comments Add Comment

Shivv says:

Dec 4, 2008. 4:37 PM REPLY This pattern is adorable! I'm making three for xmas presents, one in blue, one in lime green, and one in purple. I couldn't find craft eyes big enough, so I used buttons, and I stitched down the small tentacles instead of using velcro, so far my first hat came out great! thanks a ton :3

goosezilla says:

Dec 6, 2008. 12:32 AM REPLY Oh hey, how long did it take you to put it together? Just wondering what kind of time variable there might be on making these.

goosezilla says:
OMG I love the button eyes so much! I have to try that out next time. :D

Dec 6, 2008. 12:30 AM REPLY

Doctor What says:

Excellent! I was planning on making some hats for the winter season, and boom! Here's a perfect one!

Dec 5, 2008. 6:34 PM REPLY

jillg says:
awesome! this would be the type of thing i would ware. got to make one of these...

Dec 5, 2008. 3:48 PM REPLY

crabezoid says:

Dec 4, 2008. 8:26 AM REPLY Nice hat! I'm a big fan of squids (see my blog: http://blog.nachotime.com/?tag=squid ). It reminds me of my halloween costume this year: I've got the urge to make a bunch of these hats and run amok causing havok with my very own army of squidlings!

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

goosezilla says:
Your costume is awesome! Is the black part mesh so you can see and breathe okay? So cool... :) If you run amok show me some pictures of the chaos!

Dec 4, 2008. 12:18 PM REPLY

crabezoid says:

Dec 4, 2008. 2:14 PM REPLY I was going for the one-eyed monster squid look, but that wasn't too clear in the end. I might make some modifications for next year. With the time I spent on that costume, I'll get as much use out of it as I can!

bluesquirrel says:
This is absolutely wonderful :D I need to learn to sew and make a few of these!

Nov 30, 2008. 7:29 PM REPLY

goosezilla says:
Please do! :)

Dec 4, 2008. 12:18 PM REPLY

avery165 says:
ha! I love it.

Dec 1, 2008. 7:15 PM REPLY

goosezilla says:
Thank you!

Dec 4, 2008. 12:18 PM REPLY

darkmuskrat says:
A nice and friendly instructable like this is always a pleasure to see :)

Nov 30, 2008. 10:21 PM REPLY

cowscankill says:
No stencil for the top piece?

Nov 29, 2008. 4:30 PM REPLY

goosezilla says:
? I'm not sure what your question is exactly. There is a piece for it in the pattern.

Nov 29, 2008. 6:29 PM REPLY

cowscankill says:
Oh, in you pictures I saw no stencil cut out for the triangular piece on the top of the hat. I didn't check the stencil.

Nov 30, 2008. 10:21 AM REPLY

cowscankill says:
LOL Never mind! I see it!

Nov 30, 2008. 10:22 AM REPLY

goosezilla says:
Yay!

Nov 30, 2008. 11:44 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/

thebluemartyr says:
AWESOME! IF I COULD SEW I WOULD MAKE THIS IN A HEARTBEAT

Nov 29, 2008. 8:35 PM REPLY

Instructi-Guy says:
I WAS GONNA SAY THE SAME!

Nov 30, 2008. 9:42 AM REPLY

thebluemartyr says:
haha i luvvs my hats

Nov 30, 2008. 10:56 AM REPLY

goosezilla says:
:D Ask around, I bet you've got a secret sewer amongst people you know!

Nov 29, 2008. 9:52 PM REPLY

thebluemartyr says:
haha i wish, maybe my mom if anybody. but jeez if i had a hat like that, i would be hard pressed to ever take it off...

Nov 30, 2008. 7:41 AM REPLY

TheWelfareWarrior says:
That hat is amazing, I would love to snowboard with it... What's odd is I had the wierdest dream about giant squid last night... I was on a ship... and my dad was the captain...

Nov 29, 2008. 7:44 PM REPLY

imnotapervert says:
This is so adorable! Thanks for the pattern!

Nov 29, 2008. 6:05 PM REPLY

skidude28 says:
Haha, nice! I'd be fun to make one to go skiing in. I'd get a lot of weird looks!

Nov 29, 2008. 10:21 AM REPLY

goosezilla says:
They definitely attract lots of attention. :)

Nov 29, 2008. 10:28 AM REPLY

cheating-master says:
ya it will. once i'v seen a guy with a weird hat it looked like a small monster biting the guy's head.(it was so cool)

Nov 29, 2008. 5:58 PM REPLY

HeWantsRevenge says:
great instructable and uber cute...goto make my sis one of these

Nov 29, 2008. 2:37 PM REPLY

rachel says:
Fantastic hat, excellent instructions! I will definitely make one. Yay weird hats!

Nov 29, 2008. 1:19 PM REPLY

goosezilla says:
Hooray!

Nov 29, 2008. 2:06 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY_Squid_Hat/