Mario Stocking Cap

So if you haven't noticed yet, my son loves Mario. We are going to spend Christmas break in Idaho so I decided to create something that he would love, and that would keep him warm. So here is what I came up with. The same technique can be used for the other Mario characters as well, or if you would like you can use this to make a visor, and just not add the top or ear covers to it. I thought the visor was adorable on him, but we needed to make it a warm hat for the snow.

What you need:

1 Piece of white fleece
2 feet brown fleece
1 yard of red fleece ( I had extra left over)
Piece of elastic (optional)
A piece of flexible plastic or cardboard and ducktape
Red thread
Brown thread

Step 1: Making the Bill of the Cap

I cut out a piece of cardboard that was cresent moon shaped and then used left over green duck tape to cover it ( I did this so that the cardboard would be waterproof when you wash it or from rain/snow) you could use a plastic lid cut up if you would rather do that. Then I cut out two pieces of fleece a little larger than the cardboard piece. I sewed the outside together first, fliped it inside out, placed the cardboard piece inside, and then sewed the inside of the piece together. The bill is complete.

Step 2: Making the Rim of the Cap

I measured my sons head to see how long I needed the rim to be. Once again I cut out a piece of cardboard the same measure as his head to go around it, I made the front higher, and then it going down at a an angle. So it looks like a small hill. I then covered this piece with duck tape(again if you would rather use plastic then you can do that). I then measured to see how big I wanted the Mario M to be, and used an embroidery machine to make the M (If you don't have this machine then you can cut out an M out of red felt and sew it on your white fleece. Place the rim on top of your red felt and cut out two pieces bigger than the rim you have cut out (to allow for stiches). Cut your white fleece into the size circle you would like, and then sew it on one of the red pieces. Then sew the red pieces together. I sewed the bottom-flat side first, then turned it inside out, placed the rim inside, and sewed the top together. On the back side of the rim, I sewed a piece of elastic to allow for growth of my sons head (This is optional). Then sew the back side of the rim together. The rim of the cap is complete. Then I sewed the rim to the bill of the hat, and it should look like a visor.

Step 3: Making Top of the Hat

Cut out  an oval bigger than the rim in red fleece. This is going to be the very top of your hat, if you want a lot of overhang over the visor part, then cut a very large oval, I cut mine just a few inches bigger than the diameter of the rim of the hat. Then cut out another oval just like the other. Then measure the diameter of the top of the rim of the visor. Then cut out a circle the same size as the top of the rim (use your measurements). When you cut the circle don't center it in the oval, you want it a little further back than in the center so that there is more overhang in the front of the hat. Then sew the outside of the pieces together, turn it inside out, and then take a sew the inside of the circle to the top of the rim. Your red Mario hat is complete. If you want to add "hair" (the ear warmers) then go to the next step.

Step 4: Making the Ear Warmers

Measure from the end of one side of the bill, around the back, to the end of the other side of the bill. Cut out a brown rectangle, I double layered mine, The same length as this measure. Measure down your childs neck, to see how far you want it to go down, this is the width of the rectangle. Then I took my sewing machine and sewed rounded edges to look like hair (Don't forget to use your brown thread for this), and then cut the fleece on the outside of the stiches. Then take and sew the top of the brown fleece to the inside of the rim. (Don't forget to put your red thread back in). Your Mario stocking cap  is complete! Hope you enjoy it as much as we have!