Toddler Beach Hat

We’re headed to the beach for a family vacation soon, and I can’t wait to relax under a nice tent and hang out at the pool.  Although, I don’t think this first beach trip with an almost two year old will be as relaxing as our pre-toddler beach trips, but it will be fun to play in sand with Des.

Of course, I started thinking about things I could make him for the beach!   Normal people probably just think about what they need to pack, but I like to make things a little more chaotic for myself and throw in some last minute sewing. This time, I chose a mostly simple, but slightly tedious project:  a toddler beach hat!

It was really fun to see the whole thing come together, but there were some steps in there that took some patience.  I used this free Oliver + S Reversible Bucket Hat pattern.  It was my first time making a hat, and this pattern was really easy to follow.  She includes diagrams for each step, so it was easy to visualize what I was supposed to do next.  A piece of advice: Read all the directions before you sew, even the directions located on the pages with the pattern pieces.  They don’t just tell you how many pieces you need to cut of each pattern piece, they also tell you how to position them on your fabric when you’re ready to cut.  I almost missed them and would have ended up cutting my fabric out completely wrong!

I love Rae Hoekstra’s Lotus Pond collection, well who am I kidding… I love all of her fabrics!  These little frogs are just adorable, and Des loves them too!  They are just perfect for this little hat!

Like I mentioned, the pattern was super easy to sew, but the only part that took me some time to pin (and then re-pin a few more times) was the step where you attach the top of the hat to the sides.  Really, I just had to fiddle with it a little while, and it all worked out just fine.

The hat is adorable!  I love it!  Des loves it!  I can’t wait to see him in it at the beach!  Maybe I’ll have time to make one more…