Bonnets were used in the 1700s and for many years afterwards. They cover only a woman's hair and ears, but not her forehead. Ribbons attached to the bonnet are tied securely underneath the chin to keep the bonnet in place. It is fairly inexpensive to make a bonnet of your own with the necessary materials and directions.
Instructions
1. Choose the type of bonnet you want to make. Bonnets have been around for so long that the styles of bonnets have changed over the years to adapt to the trends and functions needed by bonnet wearers. A few examples are the Victorian bonnet, pioneer bonnet and Regency bonnet.
2. Purchase a collapsible classic hat, Mad Hatter or Italian classic hat straw hat from a fabric, hobby or hat store or a website such as Hatsupply. Measure your hat around the bottom of the crown. Find the length of the hat by starting at the brim and measuring up over the top and then down to the brim again.
3. Buy fabric to cover the crown of the hat with your measurements. Achieve the proper loose look by adding 4 inches to the measurement of the base and 2 inches to the measurement of the height. With these measurements cut out a rectangle of your material.
4. Place right sides against each other and pin the short ends together using a 5/8 inch seam. Open the seam and turn under a narrow 1/4 inch wide hem on the top and the bottom and press in place. Stitch close to the raw edge, forming casings. Leave a small opening in each casing to insert drawstrings.
5. Affix the bonnet's ties. Put the hat on and figure out where you want to attach the ties, pin to the crown and sew them in place. Ties can be sewn on the inside or outside when you make a bonnet.
6. Cover the crown of your bonnet. Cut your 1/8 inch ribbon in half to get two drawstrings and run your drawstrings through the casings on your covering. They should be long enough to pull tight and tie securely. Slip the covering down over the crown of your bonnet and tie each drawstring.
7. Tuck the ends of the drawstrings inside the cover to hide them. Take a needle and thread and tack the lower edge of the cover in place around the base of the crown. Tack the top of the covering to the center of the hat's crown so to keep it from moving.
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