Keep little ones toasty with this winsome felt hat. The cap shown at left consists of two pieces of heathery merino-wool felt sewn together with a zigzag stitch in vivid orange thread. We attached ties made of braided worsted yarn to the earflaps. 

Before you begin, learn how to easily transform wool into felt.

Felt Hat How-To
1. Measure or approximate the circumference of the recipient's head and divide the number by two. Enlarge the template on a photocopier so that its length, front to back, measures 1/2 inch less than the halved circumfrence; cut out. Using template as a guide, cut out another hat piece from felted wool; flip the template, and cut out another hat piece that's the mirror image of the first. With a zigzag stitch and contrasting thread, stitch the dart closed on each hat piece.

2. With a zigzag stitch and contrasting thread, stitch together the 2 hat pieces. Thread a tapestry needle with 3 strands of worsted yarn, and pull it through one earflap (X on template indicates placement) to yarn's midpoint.

3. Divide the resulting 6 strands into 3 equal sections, and braid. Knot at ends, and trim. Repeat on other earflap.