(image credit Zelda Universe)
(image credit Zelda Wiki)
My husband finally convinced me that Peter Pan-style hats wouldn't do, which was a bummer, I thought, because they'd be so easy to make using this pattern right here. Just two triangles and a couple of seams, darn it! And finding an equally simple pattern for a Link hat was proving to be more difficult than I'd even wanted the whole hat to be.
Necessity is the mother of invention. I didn't coin the phrase, but it's in my head ALL. THE. TIME.
You know what's easier than a two-triangle hat pattern? A one-square hat pattern. Observe.
Cut a 14-inch square from a piece of polyester fleece. (Mine is made from recycled pop bottles, so this project is fun, easy, cute, AND green.)
Fold it in half on the diagonal, and run a line of straight stitches down one of the open sides.
This leaves one side open, which will be the opening of your hat.
Turn it inside out, and flatten your hat so that the seam runs up the back. Press.
Turn down the peak of the hat, so that the point meets the bottom edge. Press.
Flip the hat over and fold the brim up twice, as pictured, and press to set the crease.
When you have enough for all of your party guests (or just one, for your little Link), tack the brims in place through all layers in the center.
Here's a photo of my two guys. Everyone at the party got to choose between a crown or a green hat, and they "bought" them at a little cardboard storefront run by my kiddo's godmother.
The crowns are also very simple.
Measure your child's head and add about an inch to the measurement. Cut a rectangle that measures (that length) x (a width of 4 inches) from felt. I used natural colored wool felt that I later dyed, but you can use poly felt, too!
Down the center of the rectangle, cut a zig zag line. One of the resulting pieces of felt should be slightly shorter than the other.
Stack the two zig-zagged pieces of felt, and stitch along the bottom and top edges (very close to the edge) using a different color of thread (I used orange). Then, with right sides facing, stitch the ends together, allowing about 1/2-inch seam allowance. Clip the excess fabric. Here's a stack of crowns, before being dyed.
If you used poly felt, just iron that back seam flat, and you're done! If you are now going to dye the crowns, here are a couple more steps.
I sink-dyed the crowns using iDye in Gold and some vinegar. Wool felt can shrink a little if agitated too much in hot water, so make sure to be gentle and sparing when stirring the crowns in the dye.
Follow package instructions for rinsing, then hang to dry. The crowns will be a little rumpled at the end of this process.
Set your iron on the "wool" setting.
Press!
My kiddo loves to wear his crown around even when it's not his birthday, and he'll wear his Link hat too! These make great party favors for this age group, because little kids are getting into pretend play and dress-up, and both styles are adaptable for a variety of imaginary play.
Post links in the comments section; I'd love to see if you decide to make party hats for your own kids' parties!
(p.s. you can make these photos bigger by clicking on them . . . but you probably knew that!)
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