Ladybug Hat

What says summer more than a little lady bug. Here is a hat that will make you want to go sit in the garden with a large glass of ice tea and just watch the world go by. It also will make a stylish accessory for the summer time barbecues for us ladies that need to wear a hat during the summer to protect our skin.

I hope you have a wonderful time making this little "bug." You can also make this for your favorite little girl by using a smaller hat. This would also make a great hat for a Kentucky Derby party, A Victorian Tea party or a Red Hat Society function.

These are just guidelines. You could change the colors, you could add flowers, you could make the streamers longer in the back. These are easy to make and if you are buying hats at thrift stores you will find many shapes of straw hats.

You can find inspiration for your creations by Googling Victorian hats or Kentucky Derby hats.

Time: One afternoon

Supplies:

• 1 straw hat (I found mine at a thrift store, but you can buy them at craft stores and at some dollar stores they run about $2)
• gloss red spray paint
• black sheer wire edged ribbon
• small amount of metallic gold wire edged ribbon
• a small amount of gold beads on wire
• glue gun and glue or fabric glue

Instructions:

1. Spray paint hat with the bright red spray paint. Paint both the inside and out. I used some gloss red spray paint that I had left over from Christmas.
2. To make the hat band: With a piece of ribbon measure loosely around the bottom of the base.
3. Fold black sheer ribbon in half and loosely wrap the bead wire around the ribbon.
4. Hot glue both of them to back of hat.
5. Make one big fluffy bow with the gold and black sheer ribbon and then hot glue this to the back of the hat covering the two ends of the hat band.

By Debra from Colorado Springs, CO