The foundations for many different kinds of crepe paper hats are close fitting caps. Use a piece of crepe paper from 5 to 10 inches wide and long enough to reach around the head. Paste the two short ends together. Gather the top and fasten tightly with spool wire, leaving sufficient length to make the flower stem, if one is required. The lower edge may be turned back, making a double edge at the bottom that will make the cap firmer (illustration No.1).
If a stem is not needed the paper may be cut off close above the wire fastening and the cap turned wrong side out, so that the fastening will be on the inside.
When flower hats are to be made a fringe, the correct color for the flower center, is pasted around the lower edge of the foundation. Flower petals are then pasted in place, either large single ones or rows of small petals as style demands. Finish with a green calyx and wrap the stem (illustration No.2).
Broad brimmed hats, such as Uncle Sam hats and Pilgrim hats, are made of cardboard covered with crepe paper. The brim is cut in the desired shape and an oval is cut out for the head size. Mark the correct size and then cut out a little smaller. Make slashes all around the edge as far as the head size marked. Turn the tabs and glue to the inside of the crown (illustration No.3).
The top of the crown is fastened to the sides in the same way, the top of the sides of the crown are slashed, bent down and glued to the under side of the top.
For large hats, such as the garden hat for the Miss Springtime Costume, make a circle of No. 15 Wire. Use a piece 54 inches long. Do not twist the ends together to join them, but lay one flat beyond the other about 2 inches and bind tightly with fine wire. Wrap the circle with a narrow strip of crepe paper. Cut a strip of crepe paper 48 inches long and 12 inches wide. Double lengthwise through the center and adjust around the wire ring, stretching the folded edge around the wire and pasting the ends together. Gather one inch from the inner edge and draw up to make the correct head size. The crown, made like the cap foundation, is sewed to the brim.
