Craft Ideas to Make a George Washington Tricorn Hat

George Washington's tricorn hat was was popular during the American Revolution. American Patriots, including the Minutemen, wore a three-cornered, or tricorn hat. It was typically made of wool. Men who considered themselves to be wealthy and fashionable would wear tricorn hats decorated with lace, feathers and silver or gold accents.

Used straw or felt hats can easily be turned into tricorn hats. Fold the brim of an old hat upward, in three evenly-spaced sections. Roll the back piece up to the headpiece, and fasten with a large safety pin. Use large safety pins to fasten the remaining two brim sections flat against the head of the hat. Add desired decorations. Finished hats can be painted with spray paint in desired colors.

Use a medium or large paper grocery bag. Cut off the top half of the bag. Turn the remainder of the bag upside down. Cut the "hat" in three evenly spaced places, about halfway from the open edge to the bag bottom. Push and pinch the bag into the tricorn shape. Fold each of the three sections up against the uncut part of the bag hat. Glue or staple to hold. Finish the hat with decorations as desired.

Fold three pieces of felt in half to make rectangles that are about four inches long and 12 inches wide. Use the felt pieces to trace a cardboard form for each section. Cut out the cardboard pieces. Slip one of the cardboard pieces inside each folded felt section. Staple each section along the sides and bottom edges to hold the cardboard and felt together. Staple each of the three corners together, fitting the hat to the wearer's head so it will not slip down over the head. Glue decorations onto the hat, if desired.

Cut three rectangles from poster board or construction paper. The height and length of the rectangles will depend on the age of the people who will wear the hats. Staple the hat together at the three corners. The stapled edge does not need to be right at the end of each section, but inward a couple of inches to fit the hat to the wearer's head. Add decorations as desired.