This 4th of July, shine like a firework with this bling-inspired cowboy hat! Whether you're heading to a barbecue, a parade, or a fireworks show, this eye-catching accessory will make you the star of the celebration. In this easy tutorial, we'll walk you through the steps to transform a plain cowboy hat into a sparkling, patriotic masterpiece with rhinestone embellishments and premade decals.
Video: July 4th Cowboy Hat
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Things You'll Need
Cowboy hat
Silver crystal rhinestone trim
Faux diamond rhinestone mesh wrap
4th of July-inspired rhinestone iron-on decals (American flag or USA letters)
Red, white, and blue sparkle garland
Hot glue gun
Scissors
1. Prepare your supplies
Gather all your materials. Lay everything out on a clean, flat surface. Make sure your cowboy hat is clean and free of dust. It's always best to have more decorative supplies than less so you can play with your design until you achieve the look!
2. Add rhinestone trim
Wrap the rhinestone trim around the base of the hat to measure the exact length needed, then cut the trim to size. Apply hot glue along the edges of the trim, at one end. Attach the trim to the base of the hat, applying more glue and pressing firmly as you go.
Tip
Use rhinestone trim that is wide enough to be noticeable but not so wide that it covers too much of the hat.
3. Apply decals
Decide where you want to place each decal on your hat. To keep this project quick and easy, we'll used hot glue to apply our iron-on decals, and added them to the front and back of the cowboy hat.
Apply a thin layer of hot glue to the back of each decal. Press the decal firmly onto the hat, holding in place for a few seconds to ensure it sticks.
4. Add some stars
Add extra sparkle by gluing stars around the hat. Plan your design, then glue each star in place with hot glue.
5. Line the brim with rhinestones
Measure the length of faux-rhinestone mesh trim needed to go around the brim of your hat. Cut one piece of trim that is 1 row wide, and another piece that is three rows wide to create a cascading effect.
Use hot glue to apply the single row of rhinestone trim all the way around the edge of the hat brim.
Next, glue the three-row strip of trim just below the single row so the wider trim hangs down from the hat brim.
6. Glue on some garland
Add a red, white, and blue garland trim around the brim of your hat for an extra pop of color and texture.
Measure the length of garland needed to go around the brim of your hat, and cut it to length. Apply the garland with a thin line of hot glue just below the and inside the single row of rhinestone trim. Make sure the garland doesn't cover the rhinestones.
7. Add final touches
Inspect your hat for any loose rhinestone trim or stars and secure them as needed with hot glue. Take a moment to make sure you are happy with the overall design. We added some stars to the outside/underside of our hat brim.
Now you're ready to rock your 4th of July bling-inspired cowboy hat at any celebration.