Remember that the felt is going to be resting against your forehead, so make sure it’s not itchy or otherwise uncomfortable directly on the skin.
If you don’t own a tailor’s measuring tape, which is simply a measuring tape that is really flexible, try to find a regular measuring tape or ruler that can be easily wrapped around your head. This should give you a good measurement for the band of your beret.
Make a pattern piece for the band. The band will be a long, skinny rectangular shape with tabs sticking out along one of the long sides. For the length, add 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) seam allowance to diameter of your head. Make the width 1 1⁄2 inches (3. 8 cm) wide. Once you cut out the basic rectangle this size, you will also need to cut out little “v” shapes along one of the long sides every 1 inch (2. 5 cm). Each “v” will need to be 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) deep, at its deepest point. Make a pattern piece for the top of the beret. This will just be a large circle. Decide how wide you would like your beret to be, around 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter is probably good, and draw a circle that diameter on your pattern paper. You can do this with a homemade compass, consisting of a pencil tied to a string, or you can find a round item you can trace that is approximately the right size. A record would work well for this. Make a pattern for the underside of the beret. This will consist of two circles. The larger circle will be the same diameter as the circle of the top piece. The second circle will be located in the center of the first circle and it will have the same circumference as your head. Cut your pattern pieces out once you’ve drawn them.
Next cut out all the pieces, making sure to follow the edge of the patterns carefully.
On some materials, such as felt, this might not matter, as both sides of the fabric are identical. Pinning the band to the underside of the beret will be the most difficult part of pinning. You want to fold each tab over so that it is 90 degrees away from the rest of the band, then set the underside piece so that it is sitting on top of the tabs. Pin the tabs on the band to the edge of the opening on the underside piece. Once the beret is turned right side out, the tabs will not be visible and the band and the underside will be able to sit at 90 degrees from each other.
Sew the seam to close the band first. This will make your band into a full loop. You added 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) seam allowance to the end of the band, so make sure that you sew the band so that there are 1⁄4 inch (0. 6 cm) seams on each end. Next connect the band to the underside of the beret by sewing around the inner circle of the underside piece, as close as possible to the edge. The small tabs you made on the band will get sewn to the underside piece, connecting the two pieces together. Finally, sew the underside piece to the top piece, making sure that all your pieces are still inside out.
The crepe paper should be relatively thick, so don’t just buy tissue paper instead. While tissue paper may be easier to find, it’s not strong enough for this project.
To make a compass simply gather a thumbtack, a piece of string that is at least 10 inches (25. 4 cm) long, and the pencil you are using to draw the circle. Tie the string to the middle of the pencil. Measure the string off the pencil 6 inches (15. 2 cm) and hold that spot. Then attach the other end of the string to the thumbtack right at the 6 inch (15. 2 cm) mark. Place the thumbtack in the approximate middle of the crepe paper you are using and stretch out the string until it is taut. Begin drawing the circle with the pencil, keeping the string taut and the thumbtack securely placed in the middle of the paper. There are other ways to draw a circle, such as tracing something the right size. For this project, you can simply trace a record, as it’s 12 inches (30. 5 cm) in diameter. Be careful not to damage the record while you are using it, especially if it’s an album you love.
Once drawn, cut out the inner circle. You will not be using the inner part of the circle at all, only the outside, so you can damage the inside but don’t damage the outside while cutting.
Try gluing the two layers together. You can use simple school glue for this method. Sew the two layers of paper together with a needle and thread or with your sewing machine. You will need to be very careful, so that the paper doesn’t rip, but the thread makes a nice decorative element. You could also put double-stick tape between the two layers, being careful to keep it as near to the edge as possible.
Add a little sparkle to your beret with a glitter glue design or a few colorful stickers! Try making a bunch of paper berets for a French themed party for kids. The kids could decorate the berets themselves and then wear them for the rest of the day.
The pattern will also specify the size needles you should use. The size of the needle you use will also have a big impact on whether or not you finished project matches the size the pattern was supposed to make. In many cases you will also want to use circular knitting needles for knitting a beret, as the length of the swatch you are knitting is relatively long. Pick out a yarn that will feel nice in contact with your skin. For instance, while heavy wool yarn will keep your head nice and warm, it may be itching where in contact with your forehead. Balance your need for warmth and an attractive look with a yarn that will be comfortable to wear.
The basic design of most berets requires that you begin by knitting a number of stitches onto your needles that will equal the circumference of your head. That’s usually going to be about 60 stitches to start. [4] X Research source Once you have knitted a few rows of that same length, which will eventually become the band of the beret, you will begin to increase your stitches at regular intervals, making the length of your knitted piece longer and longer. Once you get to the midpoint of your beret, where the flat flare is at its widest, you will begin to reduce your stitches. This will create that signature flat look of the beret. Finishing the beret requires you to reduce your stitches until you are down to around a dozen. Then you will tie all the stitches together at the top. To create the finished shape of the beret you will then work your way down the side of the beret, sewing the two ends of the swatch you have made together. This will form your work into its final round shape.
