Wari Hat

Decorative four-cornered hats were made during the Wari Empire (600-900AD) by knotting alpaca or llama fibres into intricate patterns. The fibres were then dyed with colours from plants and insects. Create your own version of a Wari hat using colourful felt.

Skill Level

Beginner

Time to Make

1 hour

Adult Supervision

Yes

Wari Hat

Top Tip

Stuff the middle of the hat with a scrunched up carrier bag, tissue paper or bubble wrap to hold the shape, this makes it easier to stick the band and decorations around the edge.

How to Make

Wari Hat
Wari Hat
Wari Hat
  1. Cut out 2 felt classpack pieces 30cm x 14cm in 2 different colours. Stick the felt together in a cross shape using strips of double-sided tape. Check the pieces are evenly placed at right angles with the same length of felt on all 4 sides.
  2. Cut out 4 squares 7.5cm x 7.5cm from self-adhesive felt. The squares can be any colour as they won’t show on the finished hat. Peel off the backing paper from one of the squares then stick it half way across one of the sides of the felt cross. Pull in the next edge of the cross, then stick the other half of the self-adhesive square on top, making one corner of the hat shape with the 2 edges joined together. Stick the other 3 self-adhesive squares onto the edges of the felt cross in the same way, pulling in the edges to form the hat corners.
  3. Carefully turn the whole hat inside out with the self-adhesive squares on the inside holding the hat in shape.
  4. To make the points on the hat, cut out 4 self-adhesive felt squares 10cm x 10cm. Cut out a triangle from each square using the full size of the felt. To attach the triangles, peel off the backing paper then stick the felt to the corners of the hat. Position the triangles with the bottom edges about 3cm from the top of the hat and the triangle points lined up with the corners. Pinch the top of the triangle so the felt sticks together.
  5. Choose a contrasting colour of self-adhesive felt for making a band to wrap around the hat. Cut the felt into 3 equal-sized strips 5cm x 22cm. Peel off the backing from the first strip, stick it around the hat then add the other 2 pieces to make a continuous band. Trim off any extra felt from the last piece if it’s too long.
  6. Cut some thin self-adhesive felt strips and squares to decorate the hat. Make the strips the same depth as the band so they fit neatly around the edge.