During the colonial days, women wore caps on their heads to protect them from the elements and to look dressy without doing the hair. Today, both children and adults dress in colonial garb for Halloween, reenactments, or 4th of July festivities. Here is a bonnet pattern that is simple to work while also realistically depicting the period.
Choose Your Fabric
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Draw a circle about 18 inches in diameter on a piece of fabric, then cut out the circle. Any fabric will work for this, depending on how fancy you want the cap to be. If you are dressing as a serving girl or a girl on the farm, you will want to make it out of a plain fabric. If you are a rich Colonial woman heading out to a party, your fabric will, of course, be nicer.
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Making the Slits
Cut small 1-inch slits about 1/2 inch in from the edge of your circle, spacing them about 3 inches apart. These slits will be threaded with ribbon or yarn.
Working with Ribbon
Cut a length of ribbon or yarn long enough to go around your head and tie into a knot or bow. Thread the ribbon or yarn through the slits in the cap. Put the cap on your head, tighten the ribbon and tie it off.
Fancy Accessories
Glue or sew ribbon or lace around the edge if it is a really fancy cap that is to be worn to a party. Remember to sew or glue it on the inside of the cap, so the rough edges will not show.
Lace as Your Base
You can also make a cap out of lace. In this instance, you may not need to make cuts in the fabric if the holes in the lace are large enough for yarn or ribbon to go through.