Halloween hat ! These make a good foundation to a witches hat (Panama Hats)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Panama Hats
Date:	31/10/06 (1014 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lovely hat

Disadvantages: real ones expensive

Have you got your witches hats ready? Are you wearing yours? Did you buy yours? Did you make yours? What you have no hat you can not go top the coven meeting with out a hat.
I have an idea how you can make a witches hat out of that old Panama hat that you bought years ago. When after I will tell you a little about panama hats before we go witching better be quick the hour is nearly upon us.

OK GOT THAT HAT? Yes. Got some black paper or card? Does not have to be strong as we are using the Panama hat as a base. Got your scissors / yes got some sellotape? Yes. Right here goes.
First lay the black paper down and put the panama hay on it draw around the outside of the brim you have a circle cut this our then cut a brim for your witches hat a bit wider than the brim of the panama hat by cutting an inner circle out of the big circle the outer circle is the brim go round the black cut out brim and make a few cuts into the paper/card then you can fold these back and put it over the bowl of the panama hat to sit on the brim of the panama hat.

Next stage quick now got to get haunting.
Measure the diameter of the brim of the Panama hat and cut a circle of black card bit bigger than this.
Cut a slit from the edge of the circle to the centre of the circle.
Now make the circle into a cone that will fit over the Panama hat onto the black brim you cut out.
Stick some sell tape to the bowl of the hat and stick this on to the brim there adjust it a bit makes sure it’s firmly stuck together.
Any bits of tatty card /paper or sellotape you could put a star over get your dad or mum to cut you some out of the baking foil. Or chocolate foil put the finished hat on smile are you ready to haunt? Yes well then off you go with your quick witches’ hat made over your dad’s panama hat. I will tell you about Panama hats now. Oh go on go witching first you can read that bit later,

Panama hats.
Panama hats have been made since the 16c woven from a plant called Toquilla. A true Panama hat is a fine hat woven with thin soft strands of Toquilla fibres it looks like material linen. Other Panama hats are made from courser grade leaves and fibres and more modern hats a straw hat in a panama style
A real Panama hat is one made in Ecuador although there are modern copies of the style made of straw elsewhere.
Why is a hat made in Ecuador called a Panama hat? Well it’s because Ecuador was not really visited much by travellers. People on their way to the gold fields in America travelled through panama. So the hats were only sold to locals, now Panama was only a short boat ride of 100 or so miles across the sea and some inspired hat maker from Ecuador sailed that way with a boat load of hats and started the buisiness of selling his hats. Panama was more visited people on their way to the gold fields in America as they travelled through panama on their route to dreams of gold riches.

Anyway enough about Panama hats one would make a good base for a witches Hat following my directions if you want a web site how to make a witches hat with out the real hat as a base try http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/party ideas/witch_hat/index.htm or http://familycrafts.about.com /cs/witchcrafts/l/blwitchhat.htm

In 1898 the American an army bought many panama hats for its troops to protect their heads from sun in the Spanish American war, and when the Panama Canal was being built many of the workers wore these hats too.
Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper have been seen sporting these hats on their heads in films too
A Panama is a good hat for the sun it is light and the brim gives eyes and neck protection.

Panama hats often have a band of ribbon around the base of the crown often black as this originates from 1901 when a black ribbon was put around hats to mourn Queen Victoria.

They have been and still are a fashionable summer hat to wear. Quite elegant really stylish

Remember to ask the owner of the hat if you can use it before turning it into a witches hat

Summary: A witches hat made on a base of A panama hat