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!
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
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″.
Fold piece right sides together, starting 1/2″ down from the open side, stitch across each end.
Turn right side out.
Stitch a 3″ piece of bias tape around an edge of the fabric circle.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sew along each edge of each end if desired, to close area placed over bias tape.
Finished! This traditional chef hat is perfect sized for a child and fancy enough for an executive chef.
Now you can make this apron pattern to make a cute child’s apron and your child will be the most stylish chef ever!
Looking for another project? This no sew witch costume is so easy.
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Would not recommend dental floss, it can get caught in your machine. I have made several hats and sew front on first and hand stitch the inside. Fun to make and have to revise it as the band is small since I use $1.00 squares, will add 2 inch piece at each end. Trail and error, but have fun.
Would this fit a 10 yr old and a 5 yr old??
Is the maximum head size 24 inches?
Thank you for your help
Oh thank you so much for this pattern! I made the hat with an apron to match for my granddaughters 5th birthday. I found this pattern simple and could make it in one evening. So cute and adjustable to fit any size! So cute!
My sister-in-law made four chef hats for her brother-in-laws. She is gave me your website. Have you a pattern for purchase? Thanks!
Bobbe
The dental floss part stumped me, too, but I finally figured it out…
It’s used to gather the circle (as opposed to sewing two rows of basting type stitches and pulling the seams to gather). The instructions say to zigzag over dental floss (careful not to catch the floss with the needle, I’d guess), effectively trapping the floss and allowing one to pull it 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. The photo was confusing to me because the dental floss is the same color as the bias tape.
I sewed two rows of stitches to gather 🙂
Thanks for a great, easy to follow tutorial. I made a chef hat for my niece today in just a few hours and it came out perfectly! I wish you wrote all the patterns I have used in the past. I must check out the rest of your posts! Thanks again.
Thank you so much for posting these instructions! They are exceptional! A friend asked if I could whip up an apron and hat for her granddaughter. I used a cupcake fabric for the top and a white dot for the band. There was even plenty of room to do some embroidery on the band! This will make a very nice gift for a very sweet little girl!
Thanks Carol! You made my day!
WOW! A friend was desperate foe a chef’s hat pattern. I happily told her that my boys ea had one and I had the pattern that was used. Volunteered to loan it to her…….silly me, the hsts and patterns had been in the drawer for over 20 years, and wouldn’t you know it? Yep, it wasn’t there. I tore up my sewing roo. And all my sewing bins ( you read right, BINS).
After searching for hours, it was nowhere to be found. This is, of course Muhy’s law. However first thing this morning, as I was getting ready for my day and it struck me! Go online, you poor old thing. (I’m 66 and proud of it, but my brain just works a bit slower these days. Wow, there it was, just perfect. Thank you so very much, because if I should be blesses with another grandchild, I will be ready! Kudos, and you made my day!
Nevermind, I figured it out lol (SLOW moment!). I realize now it says start on one side of the bias tape and sew until the other side (For those who missed it as well, you are not sewing the dental floss on the bias tape at all. You are sewing all around the “puffy” part edge, starting on one side of the end of the bias tape until you meet the opposite side of the tape.
Hi! LOVE the tutorial, thank you! I am also confused about the length of the dental floss and how it works to pull, if its only the length of the bias tape?
Confused about dental floss step. How long is the length of dental floss? Can anyone share their experience with this step…or an explanation of how it works? Thanks.
want to make one of these and the child’s head circumference is 21 inches. Will this design fit a 21 inch head?
hi cindy,I have just started sewing and made my first quilt for grandaughter .and with your great diagram my first chef hat,that didnt even take me but 3to 4 hrs thank you .this makes me want to make her and apron ,well off and sewing,thank you paula
Hi Cindy,
I found this site on Pinterest and decided to make the chef’s hat for 2 of my grandsons. I’ve been sewing for over 50 years so I’m not a dummy when it comes to sewing, but for the life of me, I was not able to figure out how that little piece of bias tape went in to enclose the seam at the back of the hat. I looked at the pics many times, trying to decide if that little bit of seam was encased or just stitched on the outside. Still ain’t figured it out! I ended up doing it my way but sure would like to know how you did it. I am stumped and it’s driving me nuts. Thanks a bunch.