There are many styles of silly hats that you can easily make at home. You could use paper, yarn or fabric, add all kinds of embellishments such as ribbons and tassels and incorporate as many different colors and patterns as you want.
Origami Hat
A triangular pointed hat with a folded brim is made from a rectangular sheet of paper following a classic origami pattern. Practice folding an origami hat using scrap paper, and once you have mastered the technique, you can estimate the size of the rectangle you need to use to make a hat that fits. Origami hats made from paper or card stock are blank canvases for silly embellishments. You could paint or draw on the hat before or after folding, use rubber stamps or stencils, add stickers and glue, tape or staple ribbons, paper shapes, strands of yarn and any other objects that take your fancy. The technique is not limited to paper; a sturdier hat can be made in the same way from a rectangle of any non-stretch fabric. You can use fabric glue or hold the shape together with a few strategically placed stitches. If you make the hat from fabric, you can sew embellishments like buttons, bells and decorative trims to it.
Pointed Hat
First measure the circumference of your head. Divide this figure in half, and add an inch or two, then use that measurement as the length of the base of a triangle template piece to make a silly pointed hat. The triangle can be as tall as you want--the taller the triangle, the taller the hat. Cut two triangles of felt or other non-fraying fabric, place them with the right sides together and sew through both layers along the two long sides of the triangle. When you turn the piece right-side out, it should fit over your head and stand upright. A pompom or tassel at the apex makes the hat sillier, but the options for embellishments are endless. To knit a pointed hat, start with a regular circular knitting hat pattern but ignore the decrease instructions. Decrease a few stitches every five to 10 rows until you only have a few stitches left. Bind the last stitches off, and the hat should be tall and pointed.
Square Hat
A square hat is easy to make from paper, fabric or yarn. Measure the circumference of your head. Divide the figure in half, and add an inch or two; this is the width of the rectangular pattern piece. The hat is made by simply folding a paper, fabric or knitted rectangle of the correct width in half horizontally and seaming the two sides. When you wear the hat, the base becomes rounded, but the top two corners remain and resemble pointed ears at the top of your head. You could attach pompoms or tassels to the corners or decorate them to look like the ears of your favorite animal.
