A diy chef hat is the perfect accessory for any child learning to cook. This child chef hat pattern only has two cuts of fabric and with just a few steps, you can whip one up in no time at all. They make great handmade gifts, especially when paired with a matching apron! Add a few cooking supplies and you have a fun and useful gift!

Want a fun recipe that your young chef will love to bake? My chocolate chip cookie pie is a winner with all ages and is super easy for the kitchen staff to help put together!

chef hat

Kids Chef Hat Supplies

  • 1 –  18″  fabric circle
  • 1 –  8″ X 24″  fabric rectangle
  • 1 – 8″ X  24″ lightweight to medium weight iron on interfacing
  • dental floss
  • 1/2 inch Velcro (about 12″)
  • 3″ piece of double fold bias tape
chef hat cutting instructions

How to make a chef hat

Follow these steps and you will be able to make loads of kids chefs hats! This hat is adjustable so it will fit kids of all ages.

Iron interfacing to the 8″ X 24″ piece of fabric following manufacturer’s instructions. Press fabric in half lengthwise and press each edge under 1/2″.

fabric pressed length wise and edges pressed

Fold piece right sides together, starting 1/2″ down from the open side, stitch across each end.

Turn right side out.

fabric folded together

Stitch a 3″ piece of bias tape around an edge of the fabric circle.

bias tape stitched to fabric

Around the outside edge of the fabric circle use a wide zigzag to stitch over a piece of dental floss starting and stopping on each side of the 4-inch piece bias tape. Be careful not to catch the floss with the needle. This traps the floss and allows it to be pulled to gather.

This method is used to gather the circle (as opposed to sewing two rows of basting type stitches and pulling the seams to gather). This starts at one end of the 4″ bias tape that was sewed on previously and ending at the other end of the bias tape.

You can always sew two rows of stitches to gather. I prefer the dental floss because I never worry about the gathering threads breaking.

wide zig zap stitch over dental floss

Gather.

fabric pulled to gather

Pin the band piece around the gathered edge. Find the center of band and center of the top piece and begin pinning there.  Adjust gathers until the band fits the gathered edge, starting at stopping about a 1/4″ over the bias tape on each side (notice how the 1/2″ that wasn’t sewn on each end neatly slips around the bias tape). Pin heavily to keep in place.  This takes some adjusting but it is so nice to have all the unfinished edges covered.

pin band piece to top of chef hat

Sewing very close to the edge, sew band to the top of the hat, removing pins as sewing to keep band flat. It might be necessary to slightly pull the band to keep it smooth.

child's chef hat

In the back fold left side over as far as the bias tape opening will allow on top of right side. Place Velcro in this overlapping area and sew all four pieces to the hat band.

velcro on over lapping parts of chef hat

Sew along each edge of each end if desired, to close area placed over bias tape.

chef hat closed with velcro

Finished! This traditional chef hat is perfect sized for a child and fancy enough for an executive chef.

chef hat tutorial

Now you can make this apron pattern to make a cute child’s apron and your child will be the most stylish chef ever!

child's apron tutorial

Looking for another project? This no sew witch costume is so easy.

I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.


About Cindy Hopper

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Comments

  1. Thank you for this pattern. I will be making these for my grandkids for Christmas. They will be so excited!

  2. Hello!
    I just wanted to say thanks for making this available!!! Made a little chef’s hat to match a snow white themed apron for my little niece and your instructions made it a smooth addition to the project! She loves hats and baking with Mom so this was a spot on project to find! Great instructions! I didn’t have interfacing at home so I improvised with some thin iron on quilt fill in half the band width (so it fit one layer inside the band).
    Thanks again!

  3. Thanks for this great tutorial! It’s elaborate and the hat looks pretty professional. It’s the perfect birthday gift for my little nephew who’s been cooking (and bbq-ing) passionately ever since he could hold a spoon… He even marinated his chocolate easter bunny after discovering it in the garden… 😀

  4. Instructions were clear and I liked the idea of using dental floss for gathering. One correction though, one place bias tape reads 3” and another place it reads 4”.

  5. so after I add the bias tape – I gather all the way around except on the tape? ( sounds like a crazy question but I wamt to be sure before I start this project )

  6. I’ve made many chef hats, but I’ve never used the bias tape, love this idea, it’s a much smoother finish.

  7. These are a great idea. I am going to be hosting a Kids Can Bake Too fun workshop and this would be great for the kids to have along with their personalized aprons.

  8. Louise, thank you! You did a great job of explaining what I meant. You are also right, sewing two rows also works to gather!

  9. Amy, I think it would be okay… you can always adjust where you place the velcro, or add a flap of fabric.

  10. Shirley, I am using a wide zig zag over the dental floss. I am careful to not sew into the floss. This method is a headache save as the gathering threads never break. But yes, be careful to not sew into the floss.

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