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Tea Party Hat Gallery
Tea Party Hat Decorating Ideas
Garden Party Teas sells thousands of tea party hats each year. Many are worn just as they are received with no additional
enhancements. But most of our hats were selected specifically for decorating. It has come to our attention that not all of our customers are Martha-Stewarts-in-waiting and that perhaps a few hat decorating suggestions would be helpful.
Assemble equipment:
Hat Base, Ribbon, Silk Flowers
Low Temp Glue Gun and Glue
Sticks or Puffy Glue Dots
Scissors
Lighter or matches (optional)
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Measure the length of ribbon
needed and cut at an angle.
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To keep the edges of grosgrain
ribbon from fraying, carefully
fuse the edge of the ribbon
with a lighter. (optional) |
Secure the ribbon in place with
a medium temp glue gun or
puffy glue dots.
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Cross one ribbon end over the
other at the back of the hat.
Secure with glue just below
the crown of the hat.
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Add silk leaves and
glue in place.
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The florals on this hat
are nice and full. Allow
some of the leaves to stick
out from the hat.
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Glue flowers in place. Don't
worry if some of the glue is
visible. |
The last bunch of flowers
that you add will cover
any traces of glue!
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Voila!
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Use your imagination, hats can be decorated in a variety of ways! |
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Occasionally we have decorated hats for parties or customers who simply
didn't have the time. (Don't ask, cause we don't have the time now, either!) Here a some of the lessons we have learned:
Want a different color? Our hats can be spray painted and still remain pliable.
If you spray paint the outside of a hat, you may want to turn it over and spray the underside of the brim, especially if you are making a
dramatic change in color.
Hot glue guns will burn your hands and can melt the hat or decorations.
Hot glue guns are not safe around children--learned that the hard way.
Low temp glue guns work great to secure decorations but to be safe, adults only.
Glue dots are good for older girls to use to decorate their own hats.
Glue dots come in varying thicknesses. We've only used the puffy glue dots and they work very well.
Decide upon a theme. Do you want fun and whimsical, pretty, elegant? Choose your embellishments accordingly
Frisky little 2 and 3 year olds can knock the embellishments off of a hat in no time flat if you've put them on with glue dots.
Think outside-the-hat when collecting items to use for decorating. In addition to ribbons and silk florals consider: small shells, costume jewelry,
novelties, buttons, lace, fringes, etc...
Cording works well as a hat band around the base of the crown, especially when the crown is slanted towards the top of the hat.
The wider the ribbon the more difficult it is to put it around the brim without getting puckers at the top of the ribbon. Wired craft ribbon
can be made to fit by pulling the wire on the top edge, it creates small gathers but will fit to the crown without gaps. Another way to overcome the
problem that occurs when using wide ribbon is to bunch the ribbon at intervals around the crown using a puffy glue dot or a low temp glue gun to
secure the "bunching" to the hat. Cover each "bunch" with decor to enhance your creation and hide any traces of glue.
Tulle is a very nice fabric to use when decorating hats. Tulle can be purchased at variety and craft stores on bolts that are 6 inches wide.
It comes in a variety of colors. When using it for a hat band, you will want to encircle the hat at least twice to get a nicer effect.
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