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.


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Comments

  1. I did a google search for chef hat tutorials and was so glad yours popped up! I just made this for my nephew and it is super cute. My son tried it on for me and immediately said, “Next Christmas, can I have the same thing as Jamie.” Thanks for the great instructions!

  2. AWESOME tutorial! My 7 yr old is having a “cooking party”, so I’m making these for her guests. I’m using fat quarters that I won in a giveaway (low cost!). So I can’t do 8×24 but am doing 8×22. This doesn’t allow for the overlap for the velcro. So, I sewed in a 3/8″ piece of elastic (something I had on had because it was miscut for it’s intended project (reusing “waste” = low cost!). For the first hat, I cut 2 pieces of elastic 1.5″ long and sewed them in the back. I’m playing with the right amount of spacing in the gap and length of elastic. This first one, there is about 3/4″ – 1″ gap with plenty of stretch in the elastic to accommodate a 7 yr old’s head and allow for growth. I can even wear the hat (but my 7 yr old has a big round head!). I put it on my tiny 5 yr old and where it is still a little big, it does stay on her head!

    I may try to embed the elastic in the seams for a cleaner finish. We’ll see how that goes. If not, this method is working fine.

    Super tutorial! Thanks for sharing. I’m off to make more hats in random fat quarter prints 🙂

  3. Thank you so much for this wonderful pattern. I love it! Santa is bringing my 3 year old twin niece and nephew a play kitchen. I’m supplying the Melissa and Doug food. This adorable hat is absolutely perfect to go along with the theme. I’ll monogram their names on the band.

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  5. I just made one for my daughter. I love it! I can’t wait to make one for all of her friends for her birthday party.

  6. I am going to decorate my smaller Christmas tree with all my “I Love Lucy” ornaments. I want to cut pattern in half to use as a chef hat tree topper. I thought it would match the candy factory theme. Since this is for a tree and not to wear, I wonder if it could be made without sewing? My machine needs adjusted and no time to have it repaired.

  7. Hi! I wanted to thank you for posting the directions to the child’s chef hat. I’m a beginner in sewing and just made this for my niece. It is too cute for words! Now, my sister wants a matching one. 🙂

  8. I found these lovely chef hats for my Bakery party for my little four year old’s birthday party. After searching through several other tutorials, I found yours to be so helpful and easy to understand. Thanks for taking the time to make this easy for me! Seven hats down in about three hours! Thanks!

  9. I made these for my daughters birthday party, thanks for the tutorial, they turned out so cute!

  10. Just made this along with an apron for my grandkids for Valentines Day. How much fun they are going to have making cookies and pizza! I love the tip on using dental floss for gathering string. I wish I would have known about that trick 30 years ago! Thanks, I can’t wait to start on the next project from you page

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