Top Knot Baby Hat Tutorial


I highly recommend having your babies during a season other than Winter. All this bundling, sigh… Mostly I have been hiding at home but on occasion I venture out to scare the public with my dark circles and lack of personal grooming. On such occasion, I cover Gordon’s baldy-bean with a soft little cap, so this weekend I made him a few of these little Top Knot Baby Hats.

They were super easy and quick! A perfect little gift for a new babe and a great use for an old t-shirt or sweater.

Get the Top-Knot Baby Hat Tutorial

1. Gather your materials. I used (1) a t-shirt that Rick had worn to a white-trash party a few years ago. Pause to enjoy the photos…

Arrival with spiked jello mold and baby.

A few hours later after consuming spiked Jello mold… But where is the baby??!!

Oh there he is, phew!

And we’re back to the material… (1) a t-shirt that Rick had worn to a white-trash party a few years ago.
(2) A super-soft brushed cotton sweater and (3) some adorable Patty Young Knit for Michael Miller in Ta Dot Brown.


2.  Print out your pattern, tape together and cut out. I used the double-knot pattern for hat 1 and single-knot pattern for hat 2&3.

3. Lay out your fabric with 2 layers, right-side-facing.

4. Pin layers together in a few spots and cut out.

5. Serge around the outside of the hat (except the bottom/head opening) Be careful not to stretch your fabric as you stitch.

 If you don’t have a serger, you can sew up this project on your sewing machine. Simply use a zig-zag along the very edge of your fabric and then stitch just inside the zig-zag with a straight stitch. Again, be careful not to stretch your fabric as you go.

6. If you would like to finish the edge of the head opening, either use a serger all the way around the edge…

Or use a zig-zag on your sewing machine, stretching the fabric as you go. If you are using a knit, you should be fine leaving it unfinished. In fact, the zig-zag on the stretched knit gave it a weird wavy effect. I cut it off and left raw….

I would definitely finish the edge if you are recycling a sweater. For my sweater, I simply used the finished bottom of the sweater as my opening…

7. Turn the bottom edge of your hat up 3 inches (or whatever you think will work best for your baby) and pin cuff in place.

8. Stitch all the way around edge of cuff with a few backward stitches at the start and finish to secure. You can use a cover stitch machine (I want) for a t-shirt hem, a top-stitch or a twin-needle straight stitch on your sewing machine (stretching fabric as you go) or a zig-zag on your sewing machine (stretching fabric as you go.) I used a twin-needle straight stitch on hat 1&2 and a zig-zag stitch on hat 3. The zig-zag looked the most finished.

9. Turn your hat right-side-out and turn the cuff up. Tie your top(s) in a knot. You are finished.

Fabric tip – If you use black fabric, your adorable nugget will look like a cat burglar.

Remember, any comment this week could win you a Sublime Stitching Camp Out Embroidery Pattern.

by

108 Comments

Jill

Would it be wrong to make my four-year-old and two-year-old wear hats like this, too? What about my husband? Love the hats!

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Taylor {Sew Much Love}

Adorable! I love that it's so versatile for boys or girls too! The hardest part for me will be not stretching the fabric. For some reason it is like kryptonite! I physically have to stretch fabric for some reason!

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Megan

I was just thinking about using some old knit fabric to make a hat for my expected-in-May baby boy, but was worried about the finishing – great tute and great timing 🙂

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keea

This was great fun to read! I hope get to making one of the double knot hats for my baby due in April! Thanks! Kristen F.

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Becky

O my goodness!!! These are so cute!!! Makes me want a new baby! I guess that I could make some for my daughters dolls!

My poor hubby is bald and he has a few t shirts, that do look awful (ie, he keeps a bright yellow shirt, with a big smiley face on the front)! Some are from his teen years in the 80's!!! They sure would look better on him of I turned them into a few hat's! 😉 Do you think he would wear them?

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Sara

Super Cute!! I have a Baby Shower to attend on Sunday and I was just thinking of what I could sew up for it….this is definitely on the list now.

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Jessica

I need to make some hats for my little guy who is 8 weeks. All the other hats don't stay on so hopefully these will stay on. Thanks!

justenoughstyle.blogspot.com

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Timmi

The great news about venturing in public somewhat ungroomed with new baby in tow is most people don't notice because of the new baby in tow, but you're right the bundling is a pain.

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Kathleen

These are so Very cute! As far as a cover-stitch machine goes, I have a CoverPro 1000 and love it! It has a large throat so you have room to stitch on large areas and a free-arm – you can sew much smaller areas… you wouldn't be disappointed.

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Kreation

Very,very cute 🙂 Wonder if I could talk my kids into wearing some… (they are older, and have learned to have their own style ;P)

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Rachel Pond

So cute and such great timing! I'm being induced on Thursday with my first, now I know what I'll be doing in the mean time! Love them both!

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bubbieone

from a PRUDENT GRANDMOTHER!!!!!!!!!!
My grandkids are too old now, darn it!!!.
BBBUUUTTT……. Any new ones come along, or friends grandkids, they all get these.

LOVE THEM

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Will & Greta

These are soooo cute! We're expecting our first in May, and this tutorial is PERFECT! The hats in the store are not cute at all, btw. Now I can make our own cute (and soft) ones for BellyBean! Thanks!!

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michelle

I agree that these would make a perfect baby shower gift. Just imagine a small pile of these all made up in cute baby knits! And what a great way to use up knit scraps!

Great tutorial!

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Alice

Have a grand baby due in Sept. This will be the perfect gift for him/her. Now to get the shirts.
I may hit the thrift stores a good place to get cheap material.

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kelly

There just are not enough hours in the day!!!! I stinkin' love this tute:) hey hubs did you really need that shirt…

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Ausmerican Housewife

I will definitely keep this in mind for our next munchkin who will hopefully come home from the hospital with us. (Our baby girl and baby boy both died either inutero or after birth.)

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Deb

This is great. I am having a hard time figuring out what to make for a co-workers third baby… this just may be it!!!

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Jen

I respectfully disagree about the non-winter baby thing. I loved having my baby mid-January. While others had to be out in the snow and sludge, I got to stay curled up with my little bit, all warm and snuggly 🙂

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Laura @ ON{thelaundry}LINE

mmmm, dark circles and lack of personal hygiene. I do enjoy treating the world to my own version of such from time to time. I like to add in a dash of 'wide-eyed desperation & flared nostrils' if it's after 8pm, as well. 😉
This is super cute! I love the double knotted one best.

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Leah

Have lots of friend with babys arriving soon, think this would be perfect gift teamed with some baby booties! Thanks

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Laura

A very appropriate gift for anyone having a baby. Infants loose so much heat from their heads, as does anyone. The snug, yet cozy knit, is a perfect, fitted solution.

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Andrea

awesome that i have a couple family members currently incubating babies that will need awesome presents! these will be perfect!!!! thank you so much for this pattern and tutorial!

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Rose

this is perfect for a mama like me that produces children with mondo-sized heads that NEVER fit right in commercially made "baby" hats. excited about this one!

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Gretchen

Really cute hats! I used a modified two know hat with fuzzy fabric to make a bunny hat for a newborn – turned out great!

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Pat Matera

I found out for Mother’s Day that my daughter is going to present us with a new grandchild in Dec. She was telling me she needed hats because she keeps her house cool up north and she likes the ones with the knot on top. I immediately surfed until I found your pattern. It was perfect and it came out just adorable….now all I need to do is make one in every color and print I can get my hands on! lol Thanks for sharing the pattern.

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Michelle

Using a cotton jersey I’m thinking I should use a ball point needle, but what foot should I use?

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Faye Nettles

Honestly, I must be the dumbest person on here. I would like to make this darling hat for my soldiers new baby expected at the end of September. I cannot find the pattern even though I have clicked on everything on this post. LOL I am going to send the new parents to be a “Shower In A Box.” I have made a quilt, and embroidered blanket, stretchy head bands since the baby is a girl. I plan to also make a heriloom baby dress of batise and English lace. I could guess at the pattern but just wasn’t sure on how high to make the ties or how big around for a newborn.
I Love your photos!
Faye

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karrie loughridge

i have made a few of these using old sweaters. most of them are awesome. But some are really hard to tie the knot in the top. any ideas?

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Jacinda

Hmm, not sure. Is the material thicker? Or have a different texture? I found this works best with lightweight sweaters and jersey. If you are using thicker, maybe make the tie longer?

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Sally

Just wondering if this is a one size fits all pattern or if it’s a specific size? If a specific size, which size? Thanks!

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Shannon

I made one and now I am hooked. The two I made out of old sweaters are my fav. With one I made a t-shirt flower for the front and with the other I made a flower out of the collar of the sweater and tacked it onto the front of the hat. Also, I did make a black t-shirt hat and then sewed a red t-shirt heart onto the front cuff that is crazy cute. I have a baby shower on Saturday and she will be getting a bucket of these things. And to think, I haven’t spent a dime–I just cleaned out my closet.

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Mütze, die « desde el sur

[…] guiarse. Son tres costuras mas el agregado de orejitas. Superfacilito. El tutorial que tomé es este, pero como no tengo máquina overlock lo hice doble y lo cosí al borde, al final queda mas […]

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jojo

I love this. My niece is having twin girls. These will make great baby shower gifts for my new great-nieces. Thank you.

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Erin

I just mad two fleece hats with this idea for my new baby cousin. Thank you so much! They were fun, very cute, and easy!!!

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Terry Collins

I just wanted to thank you for this pattern. My daughter wanted me to make a pattern just like this from one of the hats she had (just got my 4th little grandbaby last Nov 2013). I don’t have much of a fabric stash of knits…but I do have a couple of dresser drawers of old tshirts!!! Going to raid them tomorrow! Thanks!

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Hasina

Hi I’m donating hats to the newborns at my local hospitals. Can you tell me approximately how many hats can I make with a yard of fabric? Thanks for the tutorial and pattern!

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Jmm

I guess I was not really interested in how many jello-shots you had at a party! I am more interested in how much material you need for each hat?????

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Laura W

I know this is a really old post, but thank you. Have just made a pair of hats, one to the pattern and one larger for my 19month old.

Super easy and super pleased with the outcome, thank you! 🙂

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