Get into the Halloween spirit with this quilted witchy hat! It's made from soft vinyl quilted over foam for that puffy look, lined with quilting cotton, and finished with easy binding. It's a fun sit-and-sew project to make with friends, and you can rock it all season long.
Get the Witchy Hat pattern pieces here and start sewing!
What You'll Make
A quilted witch hat with a cone and a wide brim, bound around both edges. The pattern is one size fits most. Adjust the cone seam allowance for a bigger or smaller head.
Skill level: Confident beginner.
Supplies
- Witchy Hat PDF pattern pieces
- 1 roll of Sew Hungry Hippie Soft Vinyl. One piece makes a hat. I used Gunmetal Soft Vinyl.
- About 1 yard of quilting cotton for the lining. A non-directional print is easiest.
- Non-fusible foam stabilizer like Sew Hippie Foam
- Double-fold binding (I used black prepackaged binding)
- 505 basting spray, a Hera marker, and clips
- Teflon pressing sheet to protect the vinyl
- A point turner or chopstick, a stiletto, and optional Elmer's glue for glue-basting the binding
- Optional: nylon mallet for thick seams
How to Sew a Quilted Witch Hat
Step 1: Cut the pieces
Print and tape the pattern pieces together. Cut the cone and the brim (on the fold) from soft vinyl and lining. Rough cut the foam a little bigger, because you'll trim it after quilting. For the brim's inner curve, draw it first and cut with scissors or a 28 mm rotary cutter.
Step 2: Layer and baste
Press the lining, then layer lining (wrong side up), foam, and vinyl (right side up). A light mist of 505 spray keeps the layers from shifting or flipping up under the machine.
Step 3: Quilt the cone and brim
Mark straight guidelines with a Hera marker. It leaves a crease, not a permanent line. I spaced mine 1" apart and quilted with a 3.5 mm stitch length, sewing every line in the same direction so nothing puckers. Diamonds, circles, or free-motion quilting all look great too. Puckers press right out, and soft vinyl is very forgiving. A Teflon foot can help if your machine fights the vinyl.
Step 4: Trim and baste the edges
Trim the extra foam and baste around the outer edges with a long stitch (I used 5.5) to hold the layers together. A zigzag works too if your machine has one.
Step 5: Sew the cone
Fold the cone right sides together and sew the straight edge just outside your basting stitch, about a 1/2" seam allowance. Be conservative so it fits your head. You can always take a bigger seam later. Trim the seam and the tip, then turn it right side out and work the point out with a point turner or chopstick.
Step 6: Attach the brim
Fold the brim in half and snip a tiny mark at each side of the center. With right sides together, match one mark to the cone's back seam and the other directly opposite, then ease the rest of the circle in with clips. Start sewing near the back seam (not right on it), so any little fudge hides there. Backstitch and go slowly.
Step 7: Bind the edges
Starting at the back, line up the raw edge of the binding with the outer edge of the brim and sew in the first crease. Wrap it around and topstitch, using a stiletto to guide it. Prepackaged binding curves beautifully when you press it, but keep your iron off the shiny side of the vinyl, because it can melt. Use a Teflon sheet. For the inside edge, I glue-basted my binding with Elmer's glue and let it dry. No judgment!
Step 8: Decorate it
Add flowers to the brim if you're a good witch, a buckle, or anything you like. Have fun with it!
Jump to a Step in the Video
- 0:32 Putting the pattern pieces together
- 1:49 Cutting the foam, vinyl, and lining
- 7:21 Layering with basting spray
- 9:38 Marking and quilting
- 16:47 Basting the edges
- 18:03 Quilting the brim
- 22:45 Sewing the cone
- 25:23 Attaching the brim
- 29:49 Binding the edges
- 38:36 Glue-binding the inside edge
Witch Hat FAQ
How much soft vinyl do I need for a witch hat?
One piece of Sew Hungry Hippie Soft Vinyl makes one hat.
How do I make the witch hat fit my head?
Adjust the cone's seam allowance. Sew a conservative seam first, try it on, and take a bigger seam if you need it smaller.
Do I have to quilt the hat?
No. You can just stitch around the edges to hold the layers together. Quilting gives it the puffy look.
Should I use fusible foam?
I use non-fusible foam for this hat and hold the layers with basting spray while I quilt.
Can I iron soft vinyl?
Not directly on the shiny side, because it can melt or scorch. Press from the lining side or use a Teflon pressing sheet.
More Halloween Projects
- Fast Halloween Treat Bag
- Easy Cork and Vinyl Halloween Bats
- Patchwork Pumpkin Pattern
- Quilting Vinyl on a Home Sewing Machine
Shop soft vinyl, foam and interfacing, fabric, and tools and notions in the Sew Hungry Hippie shop.
Thanks for sewing along! If this helped, please subscribe on YouTube and join our email list for new tutorials and restocks.
Peace, Love, Sewing,
-Natalie
