Here’s a free baby bonnet pattern just in time for summer. Elise looks adorable in hats. I just can’t get enough of them. So I decided to make a free baby bonnet pattern. This happy baby sun hat sewing pattern with ruffles adds some summer fun to Elise’s fashion options.
I freehand drew this baby bonnet pattern hat by looking at a couple of Elise’s best fitting baby hats and then added a ruffle to make it extra cute. Of course you could leave the ruffle off of the baby bonnet pattern if you wanted.
This free baby bonnet pattern is a baby sun hat pattern that should fit a 6-12 month old; Elise is 10 months old in these photos and it’s super cute on her petite-ish noggin.
Free baby bonnet pattern for my baby sun hat sewing pattern and step-by-step instructions are below. Bring on the sunshine!
Supplies for making a baby sun hat using my free baby bonnet sewing pattern (with affiliates):
- Kathy’s free pattern for a baby bonnet sun hat with ruffles and ties (PDF – sized for 6-12 months)
- 1/2 yard of fabric
- Rotary fabric cutter, self-healing cutting mat and clear acrylic ruler
- Good fabric scissors
- Good iron (like Rowenta)
- Thread
- Pins (I prefer glass head pins)
- Sewing machine
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I’ve added a video to this tutorial so you can watch that or scroll down for step-by-step description with images.
1. Cut your free baby hat sewing pattern pieces
Full disclosure: this pattern is not perfect. You are likely going to need to take a few tucks here and there, but it will still turn out super cute. Are you OK with that? If so, then please print my free baby bonnet pattern – baby sun hat sewing pattern. It’s sized for 6-12 months. You can use one fabric print or two.
Cut 4 triangles for outside crown
Cut 4 triangles for inside crown lining
Cut 4 brims (2 top, 2 lining) – cut 2 brims right side up, then flip the pattern so that you’re cutting 2 brims wrong side up
Cut 2 strips 16″ x 1″ for the ties
Cut 2 strips 25″ x 2″ for ruffle
For this tutorial you’re going to sew everything at 3/8″ seams. I usually do 1/2″ seams for my tutorials but wanted them to be a bit smaller for Elise’s baby head.
2. Create the outside crown and crown lining
Take four of your crown pieces. Line up two pieces, right sides together, and sew along the side. Repeat with the other two pieces. Remember to use that 3/8″ seam allowance – if you make a larger seam then the brim is not going to fit in the next step.
Press seams open; they will be slightly curved.
Pin the two pieces together, right sides together.
Sew. You’ll now have one sewn crown piece. Press the seam open.
Repeat to make the lining crown.
3. Create the brim
Grab your four cut pieces for your brim. Now because it’s a bit of an asymmetrical brim, be sure to match pieces together so the brim top will match your brim bottom.
Sew two pieces of the brim together to make the outside brim. Press the seams open. Repeat to create inside lining brim. Again, remember to use that 3/8″ seam allowance – if you make a larger seam then the brim is not going to fit the crown and you’ll have to cheat it a bit by taking a few tucks when you sew them together.
4. Create the ruffle
Sew pieces together on the short ends, pressing seams flat. It should look like a large circle. Iron the circle in half lengthwise, wrong sides together (see below). The right side of the fabric will be on top and bottom now, and there’s now a finished edge and a raw edge.
Using a basting stitch, sew two rows of stitching around the raw edge of the circle. I stop at the seams and then start again because I find it’s easier to gather (in the next step).
Match the seams of the ruffle to the seams of the brim. Pin. Pull the gathering threads gently to gather the fabric into ruffles.
Pull it until it’s the same size as the outside of the brim. Pin the ruffle onto the edge of the brim, raw edges together.
Sew the ruffle onto the brim.
Place the other brim piece on top of the ruffle piece you just sewed, basically making a ruffle sandwich with the two right sides together. Pin and sew.
Turn right side out and iron. Finished brim is 18 inches circumference.
Topstitch the brim near the ruffle edge.
Sew the brim shut by sewing close to the inside circle edge.
Take out any basting stitches that show (yikes, I had a lot on this one …that’s what I get for sewing fast during naps).
5. Attach sun hat crown to the brim
Pin the crown onto the brim, right sides together matching seams. Sew around the crown to attach it to the brim.
On the right side of the hat, iron the seam open so the raw edges are up inside the crown. It’s starting to look like a hat now, yes?
6. Make and attach ties
Fold ties in half and iron. Fold raw edges into that center crease. Iron again.
On one end, make a triangle with the ends and fold in.
Sew along the open edge of the tie to sew it shut. Repeat for the second tie.
Now you’re going to attach the ties to the hat. Find the two sides of the hat. Pin the raw edge of the tie to the raw edge of the crown at the side seams.
Sew back and forth a bunch of times so it’s secure. Repeat on the other side.
7. Attach baby sun hat lining
Turn lining under 1/2″ along the raw edge and iron.
Turn the lining so the wrong side is on the outside. Pin the lining inside the hat, matching seams. Put your pins on the outside of the hat because you’ll be sewing from that side to make sure it looks nice on the outside.
And here’s what it looks like inside…
Sew it all together, stitching close to the brim, catching the lining underneath as you go. I’m not a huge fan of blind stitching like this but it’s the way I figured out how to do it, so there you go. Suggestions welcome.
Tie that hat on and go outside!
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Be sure to pin my baby sun hat free sewing pattern for later:
And see more top free sewing projects for baby and toddlers:
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Copyright stuff: You’re more than welcome to use this free project and tutorial for personal use. Contact me for commercial use and etsy sales.
Oh WOW! That is so, so cute! I love the ruffles. =) Thanks so much for your generosity. I’ll be spreading the word about this hat.
oh my goodness…this is a most beautiful blog! I cannot believe that I am only just discovering you! I love your writing and your design and style. Everything. And thank your gift so freely with the rest of us. YOU are most certainly going onto my blog roll:) I don’t want to miss anything.
Oh, Katie, bless you. I had a rotten day and reading your comment is exactly what I needed. And I’m very excited about being added soon to your blogroll! I love your curtain ring napkin rings …I’m a sucker for napkin rings as well as unique craft, uh, supplies. Hope to see you back here again soon.
I’m pretty sure I saw you at Renegade yesterday, and I only knew it was you because I recognized this adorable sunhat!
Angie, that’s the coolest thing I’ve heard in awhile!! Yes, we live one block south of it all so kind of hard not to go all weekend 🙂 Had a great time, did you? Next time please stop me and say hi!
And I’m right there on Augusta! I love our neighborhood and definitely had a good time at Renegade, as usual. I actually managed to stop myself from buying every print in the place, seeing as I have no more wall space.
I’ll make sure to say hi next time!
Thank You for this wonderful pattern. My new baby grand daughter is coming to visit in Florida and I wanted a sunhat for her. I looked in the stores and everything was outrageously priced. I used your pattern, reduced it somewhat to fit a 3 month old, and some fabric that was in my stash. It is abasolutely adorable– and a fun project for a Sunday afternoon.
Yay, Audrey! Glad that it was able to work for you in a 3 month size. Happy sunny Florida days!
Just made this for my little girl! Thanks so much for a great pattern & tutorial. I did a different color on the inside, so cute. Didn’t end up putting on the strings as she leaves it on 🙂 …. for now anyways!
Does this pattern include seam allowances? I ask because one of the photos of the crown piece being cut out shows a drawn seam allowance on the pattern piece. Please advise – thanks!
@Carol, yes, seam allowances are included. The pattern you’re looking at is the original pattern that I drew – then I scanned it in for you. Note that it’s a 3/8″ seam allowance – I didn’t want the bulk. Let me know how it goes!
I made the hat! See it here:
http://pandiolalane.blogspot.com/2011/02/baby-sunhat.html
My seams were a little too narrow so it puckered when I attached the crown to the brim. Oh well…I’ll get it right next time around.
Thanks for the tutorial! I just found your site recently and LOVE it!
Just made this hat minus the ruffle and ties, but I added a small rose. It was a little small for my 4 month old so I took it in a bit on the sides. Very cute, I wish I could post a picture for you…Thank you so much for your blog 🙂
Hi Monique, actually you can post a picture! You can upload one to the “I Made It!” flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/ Can’t wait to see it. Ah, 4 month olds! Seems just like yesterday…
I just made this sun hat and it turned out so cute. I posted pictures of it on my blog http://www.weieroriginal.blogspot.com. Thanks for the pattern!
I have also been scrolling through your posts and you are fast becoming one of my favorite reads- you’ll see yours in my favorite blogs to read too!
hi there 🙂
i love your project
and just wanted to say thanks
for sharing
instructions seamed so confusing
and I was WTF???
but, when I started to doing the that
it all came to place
🙂
thanks again
Hi Olivera, thanks for your feedback! Is there a particular piece of the instructions that seemed confusing? Would love to be able to clear it up for future crafters. Stitch in the ditch is a good idea – would love to see it – you should add your photos to the Merriment Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/
ans yes
i just remembered
for the ending stitch
i used “stitch in the ditch” technique
no, nothing was confusing when I started sewing
it seamed confusing before 😀
it is great tutorial
I will post pic
thanks!
Hi there! I’m working on this sun hat right now. Really love the look of it. I am having one problem though. It started on the step where I was to attach the brim to the crown. (I’m not making mine with a ruffle — it’s for a boy. Don’t know if that matters.) Anyway, the brim just seemed to be smaller around that the crown. So it was impossible to get the two right sides to line up without some pleats forming. I tried and tried and then just sewed it on anyway, and so now the hat has some small pleats. It honestly doesn’t look that bad. But then when I try to put the lining inside, well of course, that crown won’t line up either, and since it is blind sewing, I’m scared to figure it out.
Do you think I made my seams too small on the crown? Perhaps if they had been bigger, the crown itself would be smaller, and then it would all line up? Sorry if this is confusing!
Also, your first picture where you are talking about sewing the two right sides of the crown together — you have a picture of the rim of the hat. Just FYI!
Thanks for much for you help, and for the tutorial!
I blogged about my sun hat attempt here: http://tharshesews.blogspot.com/2011/04/baby-sun-hats-two-ways.html
Hey Krista, I replied to your blog but just to help other people too I’ll re-post here. Thanks also for the photo catch – I’ll have to fix that!
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Yes, I think the seams on the crown are a tad too small. Go ahead and re-sew the seams to take in the hat crown and the lining a little bit. Two of the seams on your crown should match up to the two seams on the brim. Then the crown should match the brim.
Did you also sew the brim seams also at 3/8″? One time when I made this as a gift, I sewed the crown at 3/8″ and then the brim at 1/2″ – tired momma that night.
Thanks again for all your feedback! Let me know if that works or if not, what I need to fix in the tutorial to make it easier. Would you put your hat photos up on our Flickr group? Your son is too cute in it, even if there’s a bit of “growing room” 🙂
http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/
Just used this pattern for a friend who just had a little girl…downsized it a bit…it looks so cute….can’t wait to get it in the mail. I was scared of blind stitching so I just hand stitched the lining in and since it’s so small it didn’t amount to much hand stitching. Thanks for the tutorial!
I just made this hat for my three month old daughter. I made it a bit smaller and left off the ties to make it reversible and the ruffle because I couldn’t decide which fabric to use. I plan to make it again with the ruffle. I love the hat and she looks adorable in it!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150193543326307.304901.628371306&l=1cc11b8112
Joanna, I love it! It’s very cute without the ruffle. You should post it our our Facebook wall: http://www.facebook.com/merrimentdesign
…and our flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/
Thanks so much for posting a comment!
I absolutely LOVE your pattern. It was exactly what I was looking for, and my hat turned out perfectly. I made it for my 10-month-old daughter. Here is a link to a picture of it: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150669174190193&set=a.10150669173410193.693457.797135192&type=1&theater
Thanks!!
@Becky, that’s great! So glad the pattern worked out for you. I am clicking the link and can’t see it – would you want to upload it to our flickr group? http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/ Or our Facebook wall? http://www.facebook.com/merrimentdesign
Thank you for the pattern. I gave it a try and had a lot of fun trying! But it came out too small for my 4 month old?! I am guessing that I should have remeasured my seam allowance! The hat in your pictures look huge compared to the one that I made. I am going to give it another try and give the little sunhat to my daughter’s dolly!
Wow, Sarah, that IS small! I know that Elise’s head is on low-ish percentile but turning out too small for a 4-month-old seems pretty teeny! I would recommend increasing the pattern size on a photocopier before you do the next go-round. The instructions will be the same. Good luck! Would love to see it on our flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/groups/merrimentdesign/
I made a few of these awesome hats this spring and finally got around to posting pictures on my blog:
http://www.ravennagirls.com/2011/06/29/sun-hats/
Thank you SO much for the awesome pattern 🙂
One question – I followed the seam allowances and seemed to have a greater circumference at the base of the crown than the brim, so I added a pleat at the front to make up for it. Any suggestions?
Hiya… I’ve just printed out the pattern for this hat to (hopefully) sew one for my little chat today (nap dependent!). I must have read everything you wrote on weddings when we married 18 months ago.. I didn’t think I could come back for baby stuff (hurrah for google).
thanks
katy
Hi, I wanted to make this hat for both my 2.5 year old and my 4.5 year old for the beach.
If i put the pattern on the copier, how much do I have to enlarge it?!?!!?!?
very cute hat and tutorial. I want to try to make this for my niece in a smaller size – approx 3-6 months. How much do you suggest I downsize the pattern? Thanks for your help.
Andrea! Eek!! I’m going through my comments now and I see that I’ve yet to respond to yours. Sorry! I hope you were able to downsize the pattern OK and that it worked out for your niece. I just love this sun hat on little girls…
Thank you for this pattern! I made it and it turned out beautifully. I’ll probably make a couple more hats with this pattern, but next time I’ll baste the hat lining before sewing it in.
Thanks for the great tutorial! I made the hat, but did it a bit differently to avoid the blind stitching on the brim. I assembled the entire lining and entire outside part, brim and all. Then I put right sides together and pinned the ruffle sandwiched between them, lined up with the edge. Then stitched all the way around except about 4″ for turning. Turned it right side in and topstitched the ruffle/brim edge. Also, I am going to add an eyelet/grommet on each side of the hat and stick ties through it, knotting the ends. That way, the hat will have ties but remain reversible.
Hey Kristin, this is a great tip. I totally hate blind stitching and I swear I always have to do a few touch ups. I’m going to try your method when I make one this summer for my baby son, Liam. Thanks!!
Oh, and here’s the hat on my DD. Not the greatest angle for the hat, but she wouldn’t leave it alone!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/485815_10100706019323529_11834121_50721397_277919658_n.jpg
This is so cute in shades of green! LOVE. And you couldn’t have a cuter model. Let me know if you’d be OK with me sharing this on my MerrimentDesign.com Facebook wall. Thanks again for commenting!
Thant you for lovely pattern. I made this sunhat for my son 😀
http://bialawalizka.blogspot.com/2012/05/kapelusik-i-karteczka.html
Oh I love how you made this sunhat for your son! I just had a boy, Liam, and you’ve inspired me to make one for him as well. I love the photo – would you be OK if I shared it on the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook wall? Thanks again for commenting!
I made it smaller for my 2-month old, and it’s reversible! I left open two little gaps between the brim and crown on either side, so that I can pull the ties back and forth to either side. To resize it I simply used 5/8″ seam allowances on the crown instead of the 3/8″! I love it so much I’m going to make it again in a larger size for when she grows out of it. I included links to pictures 🙂
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k277/tiamatfire/IMG_0093.jpg
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k277/tiamatfire/IMG_0089.jpg
Wow wow that is so cute! What an adorable little muffin you have there. Would you be OK if I shared these photos on the MerrimentDesign.com Facebook wall? Love seeing them.
Hi, I can’t find the pattern part to this pattern, I have clicked and looked for the pdf , where is it, thank you so much . I really want to make this for my granddaughter
Pat
Here’s the link to my version of this adorable pattern;
http://peachtreeprunings.blogspot.com/2012/06/pictures.html
Many thanks for the pattern! I wound up adding about 1 inch to the length of the brim in order for it to match up with the crown. I would suggest updating the pattern so it works right. I love the results and plan to use it again in the future! Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve wanted to try a hat for my daughter for a while but never got around to it. Finally working on that hat today. My daughter is two so I will use a pattern I have and add a ruffle and chin straps for now. But I am going to try your pattern (altered for size) very soon. The color of your hat is awesome!
Hi, I am expecting a baby girl in Oct, and will be trying out this project. : )
I made this and posted about it here:
http://inthedovecote.blogspot.ca/2012/08/pink-sunhat.html
Thanks for the great pattern!
I’m expected my first grandchild — a daughter — and can’t wait to make a sun bonnet for her to use next summer. Thanks for sharing and tutoring!
Thanks for the free pattern and tutorial! I love the ruffle AND ntie you added. Will be using this pattern/tutorial again and again!
I found your site looking for a pattern to make a hat for my niece. Lovely hat and thanks for the pattern. I followed the links for the other ladies posts and they made some wonderful hats. My question is there is wider part in the brim and I am wondering if this is the back or the front of the hat. I also am wondering if it matters where you attach it to the crown. Do you match the brim seam to just any seam on the crown? Thanks for the info. :0) Pip
Thank you so much for this pattern. So cute, can’t wait to make it.
Thanks, Sarah! Let me know how it turns out and if you have any feedback to make it even better.
Hi – thanks so much for this cute pattern! I’m planning on making it for my friend who is having a little girl in July. I just have a question about resizing it smaller. First, about how much do you think would be good to reduce it? I made copies at 85% and 90%, but without an actual baby to look at, it’s hard for me to judge which one would be a better fit. Then, would I have to readjust the seam allowance once I’ve resized the pattern?
I made this for my 10 month old, and it looks good. The only problem I had was that in the blind-stitching part, the folded up edge of the hat came down too low to be caught up in seam above the brim, so I made another seam on the brim. It worked and the hat looks cute. There are pictures here: http://sewscoresby.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-baby-sunhat.html
Thanks for the pattern and tutorial!
I loved this pattern. It all works very well for me. The only part I had difficulty with was lining the crown. I tried to iron it 1/2″ over, but it was too big, so I sort of mickey-moused that and it didn’t work too well.
Still very cute and I’m very happy with the finished product! I used ribbon and velcro for my ties.
Thanks for the free pattern and tutorial 🙂
Like several other sewers, I have discovered that the crown is much too large for the brim despite following the 3/8″ seam allowance. I’m going to follow Ravenna’s tips to add a pleat since I don’t feel like ripping back my work at this point.
Hi Polly, can you let me know how much bigger it is? That would help a lot in looking into it. Thanks!
Hi, I would like to make this as a gift for a 3-6mnth old. Any idea how much I should shrink the print? Thanks.
Hi Wallis, for a 3-6 month size, honestly I’d use the pattern size as is because Elise has kind of a small-ish head. Also, I’m in the process of adjusting the electronic version of my pattern so that the brim will fit the crown better. In the meantime, I’d recommend making the brim first, then make the crown using slightly larger seams than 3/8″ and it should fit together better. And at that point, you can take in the large crown seam a bit if needed to fit. Thanks for commenting.
Do you add an extra 3/8 inch around pattern piece’s before cutting or is it included ? I was a little confused about this. I looked at your picture and it looked like that’s what you did. I also had problems with the top when putting it on the brim. It was bigger, and I did do all the seems the same.
Hi Debra, I’m hoping to have time soon to tweak the electronic version of my paper pattern so that everything fits better. In the meantime, I think that if you take in the crown seams a bit more then it should fit onto the brim better. I’d love to see a photo of your finished hat, love seeing everyone’s cute fabric choices. Thanks for commenting.
Made this last night to match a dress and its way too small!
Oh well will have to try again. Was easy enough though thanks fr the pattern
Hi – 1/2 yard is 18″, therefore how do I get two 25″ x 2″ strips out of 18″ for the ruffle? I went and purchased 1/2 yard as per instructions. I guess I will have to sew them together to make 25″.
Hi Sharon! Glad that you were able to work it out. Yes, I like to piece them together to keep from buying more fabric, and usually you can’t tell too badly unless it’s a larger or busy patterned fabric, so when that happens then I like to try to pattern match it. Would love to see your hat when you finish it, if you’d like to share it at http://www.facebook.com/merrimentdesign
Hi again – its ok, I’m a newbee to sewing. I guess its fine to stich one piece to another to make a ruffle. Since checking online, that’s what loads of people have done on different projects.
So, its back to the scissors and the sewing machine to stitch my pieces in 4 x 12.5″” pieces!!.
Thanks
Kathy, I saw that on May 5th 2013, you mentioned you were updating the pattern so that the brim would fit better on the crown of the hat. Can you tell me if this change has been made? I downloaded the pattern last week to make a hat for my 13 month old daughter, Amelia. I scaled up the pattern 10%, I hope that does the trick.
Thank you so much for the pattern. I just made a sundress and was looking for a hat to go with, this is perfect! One thing you might want to consider is using a gathering foot. This isn’t a ruffler, much easier to use and a lot less $$ to buy. Thanks again for the pattern!
that hat is so very pretty!
I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!
♥, doro von Hand zu Hand
Such an amazing tutorial very detailed. Thank you for posting the pictures and the video. The design is gorgeous i love the ruffles.
I can see that the brim pattern is asymmetric and you mention it in the tutorial but neither the pattern markings nor your tutorial shed any light on which side of the brim (the gently sloping end or the angled end) goes in front or back. No one seems to mention this in the comments that I have read. Can you please address this issue?
I’d love to use the pattern for my 4 mo. old granddaughter.
Thanks,
Ellen
Hi Ellen, the gently sloping end goes in back, angled in front. The pattern has its imperfections but in the end the hats end up being cute so I can’t wait to see the one that you make for your granddaughter!
Hi Kathy,
I followed your directions and initially sewed the crown incorrectly. I did correct that after I tried to sew the brim onto the crown and the crown was too large for the brim. Even after the correction, I still have too much fabric to attach to the brim. Perhaps about two inches. attaching The opening of the interior brim is not matching up with the crown. What did I do wrong? I’m so frustrated. Please let me know what you think.
Thanks, Kathy A
Maybe you could add to the suggestions that overall small patterns on the fabric are better then striped or patterns in lines as the angled brim does not suit these designs. I am about to try the hat for my new twins granddaughters for next summer.
Where of where is the pattern, please???????
Hi Inez! Here you go 🙂 https://www.merrimentdesign.com/images/baby-sunhat-free-pattern.pdf Be sure to follow the instructions for seam allowance so that the brim and crown fit together. Happy sewing!
I just made 2 of these for my Great-Granddaughter’s 1st Birthday…..I made this size and hope for the best…..I started out adding a little to the seams but that made it look huge so went with the pattern. Instead of folding the 1/2 inch and topstitching the lining in, I left an opening in one of the crown seams and turned the whole hat through that opening and then nachine stitched it closed…..Sew CUTE!!! Thanks so much for the pattern. I will go find your FB page and post them there!
Hi! Thanks so much for this pattern! We are going to Disney Land and wanted to make my baby girl a cute Minnie Mouse themed sun hat but didn’t want to take the time to draft a pattern and fix imperfections and such! It’s printing now! Can’t wait to make it! Thanks again!
Thank you for the pattern and instructions. I plan to make a couple of hats and matching sundresses for my granddaughter. She is 11 months old and just underwent a successful heart transplant. She needs protection from the sun due to the meds she is on. This darling hat will be perfect!
Hi Jeannee, sending much love to your granddaughter! So glad to hear that her surgery was successful! These hats will be super cute on her. Note the seam allowances, and you may have to take a tuck or two to get the lining to fit the crown as my pattern isn’t totally perfected but the hats turn out adorable. I’d love to see her in them! Post a pic at facebook.com/merrimentdesign