Every ten or so years, the bucket hat seems to make a come back in fashion and trendy streetwear. With each life cycle, the style is tweaked, and it somehow resumes a completely reinvented aesthetic. If you do not know about this trend, this article does a far better job at explaining the background that I can:
http://www.bustle.com/articles/27831-whatever-happened-to-bucket-hats-oh-wait-theyre-back
The current trend of bucket hats, much like hipster shirts, use bold contrasting colors and bizarre patterns. The fabric patterns are usually either a repeating pattern of a small image, or a print that I would be likely to find on the throw pillows at my grandma’s house (I am only half kidding). I immediately thought that it would be fun to try and replicate these patterns using candy wrappers. I settled on using Starburst wrappers, Super Bubble gum wrappers, Capri Sun juice pouches (a classic DIY up-cycle material).
In addition to eventually having a not-so-stylish bucket hat, I am also hoping to use this project to learn how to sew.
Obligatory picture of Rihanna looking better than Justin Bieber in a bucket hat
Here is my progress so far:
The easy part.
In order to flatten the wrappers, I ironed them under a cloth on low heat.
Starting to get a pile of flat wrappers.
Drying Capri Sun pouches after cutting out the bottom panel so I could rinse them.
Cardboard patterns to create the top circle and brim pieces.
In the coming days I will begin to sew the wrappers together along the edges in order to create a larger piece of “fabric”.
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Looking forward to the final product. I think the choice of starbursts, bubble gum, and capri sun wrappers meshes very well with the stereotypical bucket hat styles. Also interesting to consider what other materials you could implement.
Neat idea and great chance to learn to sew. The Capri Sun packages have a straw if I recall. Are you planning on using the straws in the design? It would be interesting to see if perhaps other drink pouches could play into the design somehow. I just hope you don’t get a belly ache from consuming all that wholesome fruit juice.
Great plan! Did you take one of the sewing workshops in Idea Forge?
Speaking of grandparents, I always associate bucket hats with older men, fishing, with buttons and fishing flies on the hats…