Camper Hat Pattern and Tutorial

What pattern am I sharing?  I’m stepping out on a limb and sharing a pattern I drafted and wrote myself – the Camper Hat pattern.  I’ve been dying to start offering patterns and wanted to dip my toe in by sharing a simple free pattern for this cute little hat.

It’s perfect for girls or boys ages 2T – 5T, and it is even reversible for two hats in one!  Sewing time is minimal – under an hour for sure and with practice I was whipping these out in about 30 minutes.  There are two methods for finishing the hat which I share in the tutorial, and the simple design lends itself to all sorts of creativity and embellishment – piping, trims, color blocking, mixing patterns, adding straps, etc.

I hope you don’t think me too presumptuous for sharing this as my “Best of Summer Sewing”, but I really do love it and have had so much fun making different versions of it for my girls and even boy versions destined for my nephews.

The pattern is available for immediate download in my Etsy shop, or on Craftsy.

Camper Hat

Skill Level - Beginner
Materials - 1/4 yard each of main and lining fabrics
narrow double fold bias tape (method A)
3/8″ seam allowance throughout

1. Cut 4 crown pieces from each of the main and lining fabrics.  The notch at the bottom of the pattern is helpful to identify the orientation of the pieces as it is difficult to differentiate the sides once you begin sewing.
2. Cut 2 brim pieces on the fold from each of the main and lining fabrics.

3. With right sides together (RST), sew along one side of each pair of crown pieces.  Repeat with lining pieces.  Press seams open; a tailor’s ham or rolled up towel will make this easier.

4. With RST, sew the brim pieces together.  Repeat with the lining pieces.  Press seams open.

5. With RST, sew the two pieces created in step 3.  Repeat with lining pieces.  Press seams open.  If you’d like to topstitch along the seams of the crown, this would be the easiest point to do so.

6. With RST, align and pin the crown and brim at the side seams and fold lines.  Sew all the way around.  Repeat with lining pieces.  Press seam allowances toward the crown.

7A. The first finishing method uses bias tape to bind the edges.  With wrong sides together and the bias tape opened align all the raw edges matching seams and fold lines.  Fold about 1/4″ of the beginning edge to the outside to hide the edges.  Continue pinning around the hat brim and overlap the folded over beginning edge by about 1/2″.

8A. Sew along the fold line closest to the edge.  Then re-fold the tape around to the opposite side and stitch near the inside edge of the bias tape.

7B. Alternately, you can align seams and fold lines with RST.  Stitch around brim leaving about 2″ open for turning.

8B. Turn hat right sides out.  Press and stitch close to the edge.

I hope you enjoy this fun, simple pattern and I’d love to see your versions if you make one (or two or three)!  Feel free to sell finished hats made with this pattern, just please give credit for the pattern to Jennuine Design or A Jennuine Life.

If you’re interested in becoming a pattern tester for Jennuine Design, shoot me an e-mail at jennuinedesign@gmail.com – I’ll put together a list and let you know when I’ve got patterns needing testers!  Things are in the works, people!  I just need to dedicate the time to work on them…