Princess' hat
Print instructions & templates
Make a medieval maiden's hennin headdress.
You will need:
large sheet of coloured cardboard
coloured decorative card or coloured felt
stapler
scissors
sticky tape and glue
light fabric (eg net or chiffon) 2 pieces 120cm x 60cm
stick-on jewels or plastic flowers
Make a robe to go with your Princess hat
Belted robe
Make this simple robe to go with your knight’s helmet, crown or jester’s hat. A great addition to a dress-up box.
Peasants and paparazzi went wild as Zoe headed up the red carpet towards the castles drawbridge. A regular cover-maiden for Wench Weekly, she was at the cutting edge of fashion and a role-model for budding starlets all over the realm.
"She's wearing an eye-catching purple, green and red velvet gown with an almost scandalously tight bodice and those sleeves must have at least fifty buttons up each arm!" gasped the presenter of A Pagan Affair. Some in the crowd tut-tutted in disapproval at the sheer extravagance of it all.
Most shocking and fabulous of all was Zoe's cone-shaped hat, patterned with gold embroidery and nearly half a metre tall. Metres of gossamer-sheer pink silk billowed from the tip, dragging on the ground behind her. "It's a hennin - the latest fashion from Italy", said Zoe modestly, as she paused for a photo opportunity.
"Well you're a shoe-in for Best Dressed Medieval Maiden this year", gushed an overwhelmed fan.
From the Powerhouse Museum's collection:
Fit for a princess, this gorgeous tiara is silver and topaz, and was made in France in 1895. The design of the tiara is inspired by Australian Eucalyptus leaves.
Take a closer look.
Come to the Powerhouse Museum and visit the exhibition Inspired! Design across time to see this tiara and other fabulous fashions.
Step by step:
1. Roll one cardboard sheet into a cone shape. Secure with a small piece of sticky-tape and put the cone onto your head.
2. Adjust the cone to fit your head. Tape the top and bottom, then cut off the excess cardboard so that the cone is even.
3. Using the templates (or design your own) cut out decorations in felt or cardboard, and attach them to the hat using a stapler or strong paper glue.
4. Decorate your fabric veil with flowers or stick-on jewels and cover the cone with one piece of fabric. Cut a small hole and slide it over the top of the cone to secure.
5. Cut a small hole in the second piece of fabric and secure so that the fabric drapes down lengthwise.
6. Put the cone on your head and measure the length of elastic you need to go under your chin. Cut and staple the elastic on each side of the cone.
