Summer is just around the corner and we're already dreaming of beach days and barbecues and picnics in the park with friends. And a new hat!

Here is everything you need to know to personalize a fabulous summer hat with colorful tassels, and a step-by-step guide to our new DIY Raffia Sunhat with Tassels Kit.

First gather together your DIY Kit, a small bowl of water and a pair of scissors - a sharp and pointy pair is best. 

 

Choose the thread color you would like to use for the body of your first tassel. Using the little cardboard template wrap the thread around the card about 8-10 times. 

  

Snip open the threads at the bottom of the card. you now have a bundle of threads (more or less!) all the same length. Hold them carefully near the middle so they stay a nice, tight bundle. 

  

Choose a contrasting thread color. Place the tail end of the contrasting thread at about the middle of the main bundle. Start wrapping the second thread around your first bundle, starting about 3/8 inch from the centre, and wrap the contrasting thread towards the center. The idea is to wrap the second thread over its beginning tail to secure in place. Try to place each wrap neatly next to the one before. You want to wrap quite firmly. 

  

Take another contrasting thread and repeat the process, this time covering the middle of the main bundle and once again wrapping the thread over its own starting tail. 

    

Repeat again with a third color, wrapping down the other side from the centre (to about 3/8 inch from center). 

  

Fold your main bundle in half and wrap the third color around the whole main bundle, just under all the colored threads. This will secure the tassel shape into place. Tie off with a knot and trim the tail. Also trim any excess colored tails that didn't get completely wrapped.  

  

You can add a fourth color over the top of this section if you like. This time leave the beginning tail free so you can use it to tie a knot with the end of this color when you have finished wrapping. 

   

You'll probably notice your tassel has a rather uneven bottom edge so let's give it a haircut! Get your bowl of water and dip the tassel strands into the water (up to the bottom of the colored wrappings) Squeeze out the excess water and smooth the tassel strands. 

  

While still wet, trim the bottom of the tassel strands in a straight line. Leave the tassel to dry. Repeat the whole process and make a second tassel! As you can see here we made 2 tassels with different color combinations. 

  

Once your tassels are dry you need to assemble your hat. Gather together your hat, tassels, ribbon, needle + thread and scissors. 

First tie the ribbon around your hat. It helps to do this while you are wearing the hat so you don't accidentally tie the ribbon too tight. We like to tie a double knot on the right side of the hat (fun fact: millinery tradition says that women's hats are trimmed on the right and men's hats on the left). 

  

Now thread your needle with the sewing thread, double over the thread and tie a good knot in the end. From the inside of the hat going towards the outside sew a few stitches through the ribbon to help hold it in place. (We sew just under the knot).

Make sure when you're holding the hat you are holding the sweat band out of the way - you don't want to sew through it!

  

Now we will attach the tassels. Make sure you have a nice long double thread on your needle with a knot in the end. Sew this thread from the inside of the hat working towards the outside. 

Sew through one tassel near the centre top. 

Sew the thread back though the hat so that the tassel is hanging on a loop of thread. Don't pull too tight! You want the tassel the have a little bit of movement. You can see in the photo below the tassels are dangling a little bit. 

  

Repeat with the second tassel. Tie off your thread securely on the inside of the hat. 

  

With double sewing thread and a knot in the end sew a few stitches through the opposite side of the ribbon and though the hat. This will stop the ribbon moving or riding up on the other side of the hat. 

 

Voila! Your personalized sunhat with colorful tassels is ready for summer adventures. 

If you enjoyed this craft project why not try one of our other DIY hat, headband or beret kits. And don't forget to share your sunhat style @genevieveroseatelier