Project time: 1 hour
DIY level: Easy-medium
I love Anthropologie. A couple times a year I splurge and get myself a sweater or dress out of their “Freshly Cut” section online. And when I get that rare treat of getting to visit one of their actual stores, you bet I’m going to walk out of there with something, even if it’s just ridiculously cute measuring spoons.
Sometimes, Anthropologie’s product turnover is just a little too fast, or the item I want is out of my price range. Fortunately, I’ve got some skills up my sleeve when such occasions arise—I can make certain items on my own, like this origami flower garden hat!
The original cost of the hat I thought was oh-so-darling was $445, but the one I’m going to show you how to make today costs less than $45—and even less than that if you already have a hat you want to dress up a little, or find one for cheap at a vintage store! Plus it’s super, super simple. Once you master the origami flower, you can make the removable pin over and over in a variety of colors to match your hat to every outfit.
Supplies I Used for This Project:
- AdTech’s 2Temp Project glue gun
- AdTech’s Full-Size Multi-Temp Glue Sticks
- Fedora or garden hat, hemp-colored (they are cheap at Target!)
- Two different colors origami paper (I got mine here)
- Lapel pin
- Optional: Aleene’s waterproofing spray for paper
- Optional: AdTech Permanent Glue Runner (if you get this pack you get 4 for less than the price of 2!)
Step one:
Use this tutorial to create origami flowers for your hat. (I looked at a few tutorials and I liked these flowers best, but you can search for a different design if you like!) I highly recommend practicing on scrap paper first if you’re not used to making origami. This flower requires lots of folds and needs to be pretty darn symmetrical to come out right!
Pro Tip: If you accidentally buy origami paper that isn’t double-sided, take two perfect squares and run your glue runner over the blank sides and stick them together. I’m including a picture of what this looks like, using note paper (because origami paper is expensive!). You’ll notice that I focus the glue on the edges and places that don’t cross the exact center. Having glue anywhere you plan to fold will make it harder to keep your edges crisp.
Step two:
Optional: Spray with Aleene’s waterproofing spray. I say this is optional because if you’re out wearing a sunhat, it’s probably not raining–but in the event that you get your hat wet, you’ll want to protect those flowers!
Step three:
Set your 2Temp glue gun to the low temperature setting. This setting will help you control where the glue goes, reduce drips, and keep your paper from warping under the heat of a traditional high-temperature glue gun. Since it’s a two-in-one glue gun, you can also use it for your high temperature projects!
Step four:
To keep your flowers tight, squeeze glue dots into the folds that just won’t stay where you want them to, and press them down. I found four spots to glue on the outside of each flower.
Step five:
Once the glue has set, align the flower the way you like them and glue them together accordingly. Then glue this piece to a lapel pin along the long flat side.
Step six:
Adhere the pin to the hat in the place that looks best, and voila! The easiest Anthropologie knockoff ever created. Happy sunning!