A pillbox hat for a night at the theatre

Hello! Do you like dressing up? I do! I love to wear costumes and pretty dresses but sometimes it just feels like there aren't enough reasons to really get out the glad rags, you know? So I really try to seize any opportunity to overdress! ~___^ Rebecca and I decided to go and see A Murder Is Announced last week and since it's a stage show, and set in the '50s, we went all out! ^___^

I wore a gorgeous halter-neck dress with a sweetheart neckline and the most fluffy skirt ever - which I promptly made even fluffier by adding my petticoat underneath. There is no such thing as a skirt that is too fluffy. We had decided we wanted to look like '50s ladies, so I added a set of vintage pearls, a vintage handbag, and a handmade pillbox hat and gloves. I also had a lot of fun trying out victory rolls! Rebecca did credit to the motto of "make do and mend" by making her skirt, and thrifting her top and clutch purse. I wish I had a better photo of her hairstyle too! She did a great job working her shorter hairstyle into victory rolls and twists ^___^ Since it was an evening show, Rebecca also wore a gorgeous vintage fur stole while I favoured vintage black velvet.

My pillbox hat was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be and really adds that little something something to the outfit, but unfortunately I didn't take any photos while I was making it! I did take some additional photos in better lighting though, as it is a little hard to see the full hat in the outfit photos above.

 

I made it from the lid from a plastic container, black satin, a big black and white ribbon (it's reversable), some black tulle, and a lot of hot glue!

Here is how to do it!

1. Cover the outside of the lid in black satin

2. Add a circle of black satin to the inside of the lid

3. Glue one end of the ribbon to the inside of the lid, wrap it around the lid in a nice-looking way, adding glue to twists to prevent movement

4. Secure the other end of the ribbon to the inside of the lid

5. Arrange the tulle over the lid, wrapping the gathered end into the inside of the lid

6. Fasten the tulle by adding glue to scraps of ribbon and pressing them over the tulle

7. Make a big bow with the rest of the ribbon and glue it to the back of the lid. I made this bow by making two circles with the ribbon, one smaller than the other, then wrapping a smaller length of ribbon around them both and gluing everything into position. I also glued the ties to the underside of the bow.

8. Glue on a small hair comb of the inside of the lid, underneath the bow.

 

The inside isn't very pretty looking,but it gives you more of an idea of what's going on under there ~___^ The hair comb I used doesn't secure the hat to my head perfectly, but it does add stability while I add in bobby pins and means that I don't need to hold it on my head while I'm fastening it on.

We were definitely the most overdressed people at the theatre, but it was so much fun! I think I've also overcome my fear of victory rolls now, which is very good since as I looked at so many photos of actual vintage hats in preparation for making this one I've got many many millinery plans, so I'll need to be getting better at the hairstyles to match! ~___^

- Lisa xx