Denim Hat

Hat Making Project

Upcycled Denim Hat

Transform a pair of old jeans into a stylish blocked denim hat.

Denim Hat

Hat Making Project

Upcycled Denim Hat

Transform a pair of old jeans into a stylish blocked denim hat.

Projects / Upcycled Denim Hat

Project Overview

As part of a special series of tutorials on making upcycled hats using hat blocks from the Guy Morse-Brown Vintage Smalls Range, British milliner Jane Fryers turns a pair of old jeans into a glamorous denim hat using the traditional tip and sideband method of hat making.

“The first item of clothing I ever recycled was a pair of Levis which had just become too risqué to wear,” says Jane. “I took them into Rose Cory’s class and told her I wanted to make them into a hat. Her advice was to forget that they were jeans and just work with the fabric in front of me.

I’ve always liked the contrast between a masculine fabric, such as denim, and a very feminine material like veiling. And this is my favourite combination of the Vintage Smalls collection. The BB62 and the CB60… so cute!”

Category: Hats

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What You Need

  • Brim block (Jane used the Guy Morse-Brown BB62)
  • Crown block (Jane used the Guy Morse-Brown CB60)
  • Brown packaging paper
  • Sellotape® or Scotch® tape
  • Iron
  • Permanent Marker
  • An old pair of jeans
  • 1 yard (1metre) of buckram
  • Cloth
  • Cling film (Saran Wrap)
  • Chalk
  • Needle and thread
  • Millinery wire
  • Pins
  • 16” (41.5cm) length of
  • 1” (2.5cm) Petersham ribbon
  • Bar of soap
  • Decorative buttons
  • 30” (76cm) of 8” (20cm) wide veiling
  • Hat elastic or comb

Project Overview

As part of a special series of tutorials on making upcycled hats using hat blocks from the Guy Morse-Brown Vintage Smalls Range, British milliner Jane Fryers turns a pair of old jeans into a glamorous denim hat using the traditional tip and sideband method of hat making.

“The first item of clothing I ever recycled was a pair of Levis which had just become too risqué to wear,” says Jane. “I took them into Rose Cory’s class and told her I wanted to make them into a hat. Her advice was to forget that they were jeans and just work with the fabric in front of me.

I’ve always liked the contrast between a masculine fabric, such as denim, and a very feminine material like veiling. And this is my favourite combination of the Vintage Smalls collection. The BB62 and the CB60… so cute!”

Category: Hats

What You Need

  • Brim block (Jane used the Guy Morse-Brown BB62)
  • Crown block (Jane used the Guy Morse-Brown CB60)
  • Brown packaging paper
  • Sellotape® or Scotch® tape
  • Iron
  • Permanent Marker
  • An old pair of jeans
  • 1 yard (1metre) of buckram
  • Cloth
  • Cling film (Saran Wrap)
  • Chalk
  • Needle and thread
  • Millinery wire
  • Pins
  • 16” (41.5cm) length of
  • 1” (2.5cm) Petersham ribbon
  • Bar of soap
  • Decorative buttons
  • 30” (76cm) of 8” (20cm) wide veiling
  • Hat elastic or comb

Get Full Access

HATalk Subscribers – sign in below to view the full instructions for this project.

Not a Subscriber yet? Sign up to begin your free trial and get instant access to all of our hat making projects and e-magazines.

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a 2025 Haute Dogs Calendar.

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a 2025 Haute Dogs Calendar.

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