How to Make a George Washington Tricorn Hat
- 1). Acquire a felt hat that fits. The hat should have a low crown--think of it as a flat top--and a wide brim. You can sew the underside edge of the brim with worsted wool or gold braiding, if you wish. If you have a hat blank, it will have an unfinished brim that can be cut and hemmed with cloth tape.
- 2). Fold the brim up in the back of the hat against the crown and stitch in place in the center back of the crown. Fold the brim of the left side of the hat against the crown and stitch in place in the front left of the crown. Fold the brim of the right side of the hat and stitch in place in the front right of the crown. This should leave the top "point" of the "triangle" facing in the front.
- 3). Add any adornment desired, such as a star pin or a cockade, which was a kind of rosette made of ribbons. It is known that George Washington wore a black and white ribbon cockade, which symbolized the union of Americans and French during the Revolutionary War.