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Adding Straps to Sun Hats {velcro or snaps}

 We’re headed to the lake (with nice sandy beaches…ahhh) tomorrow.  So I have been on the hunt for some Sun Hats for the kiddos that have chin straps, for two reasons.  1st, so that my rascally 1 year old baby girl won’t pull hers off.  And 2nd, so that the wind won’t blow their hats off the entire time we’re there.  However, finding hats with straps has been impossible on anything bigger than little baby sizes.  Oh, and it doesn’t help that 2 of my children have huge heads.  I did finally find a bucket hat (with an adjustable neck strap) for my little guy in the men’s department.  It’s a bit big……but there’s no way on this green earth that I could ever squeeze his large noggin into a toddler sized hat.  No way.  The man’s hat is a little big on him but it’s like a floppy bucket hat so you can’t really tell it’s too big.  However, I couldn’t find anything with straps for the girls.  Finally, I realized that not having straps was a crazy thing to fret over.  Why not just add my own?  Okay, done.

 

I assume many have already come up with this as a solution for strapless hats.  But maybe there are others of you who aren’t thinking clearly like was, and just haven’t processed the thought that you could quickly remedy this problem. 

 

Just slap some straps on there……and no more flyaway hats (or removable by 1 year old’s).

 

 

 

And whatever method works best for you, use it.  Velcro is perfect for my older girl so she can do it by herself and the snaps are better for the baby so she can’t undo the strap.  Problems solved.  (And remember, snaps are not scary.  Check out my tutorial here…..and you’ll see!)

 

 

 

 

 

Originally, I was going to sew fabric into tubes and make the straps that way.  But then I walked past my drawer of grosgrain ribbon and quickly changed my mind.  Such a speedy solution.

 

 

 

But really, if you’d rather use fabric, go for it!  Just let me tell you…….sturdy grosgrain ribbon will save you lots of time. (and turning fabric.  and clipping threads.  and ironing.)

 

 

 

 

I’m most glad for this solution to help my baby’s super fair skin.  If she knows that the hat can be removed, she’ll remove it……..and then her pale skin has no chance.  So I’m glad the straps are there to keep everything in place.

 

 

Ready for the sun?  Check.  Each of the kiddos now have their own little shade while we’re out in the sun for the next few days (plus they’ll be slathered in SPF 50).

 

 

 

 

Now it’s time to enjoy the sun.  And a few days away from the norm.  Ahhhhhhhh.

 

 

 

Want to add straps to your own Sun Hat?

 

 

Just so you know, I bought the pink hat at Old Navy and the floral one at Carter’s.  The smaller sizes of these hats both had straps but I bought the toddler sizes.  And the ribbon???  I don’t remember where I bought it.  I have had both colors in my ribbon stash for about 5 years.  Wow.

 

First of all, cut two pieces of ribbon that are long enough to have plenty of fold over at each end.  (Read through the tutorial first before cutting, so that you get an idea of how much extra you will need at each end of your ribbon.)  Then, place a pin at both sides of your hat.

 

 

From the inside of the hat, find where those pins poked through from the front side, and pin your ribbon right in place.  Make sure you are placing the “right” side of the ribbon against the inside of the hat.  Also, tuck the very end of the ribbon under about a 1/2 inch, to keep the raw ends hidden.

 

 

Then sew each end of your ribbon right to the hat, to secure it in place.  I sewed in a square shape, to be sure it was nice and strong.

 

 

Ad if you use the same color thread as your hat, your seam will be barely visible from the “right” side.

 

Now, for the other ends of the ribbon pieces.  Try the hat on your baby and pin under the ends to the desired length.  Be sure that the ribbons are long enough to overlap, and also allow room for growth.  Then tuck under each end of ribbon (to the “wrong” side of the ribbon), then attach velcro to each end.  Attach one piece of velcro to the “wrong” side of the ribbon and the other piece of velcro to the “right” side.

 

 

If you’d rather use snaps, remember, check out my tutorial here.  And yeah, I got a little snap happy but I can’t stand when snaps are too far apart and you need something in between.  No problems here. :) 

 

Also, I would highly recommend folding over the ribbon as far as you’ll be placing snaps.  Then sew that folded over ribbon in place.  That double layer of ribbon will be sturdier for your snaps as you pull on the ribbon to open and close the straps.

 

 

And that’s it. 

 

New straps for your sun hat.

 

 

 

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Ashley Johnston

Administrator at Make It & Love It
Ashley Johnston is a professional DIY costume maker, sewist, crafter, and owner of Make It & Love It. She is a mom of 5 and a wife to a very patient (with the craft clutter) husband. In case you’re wondering, she always chooses crafting/sewing/designing over mopping/dusting/wiping base boards……but bathrooms/laundry/full bellies are always attended to. Whew!

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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