DIY Reversible Bonnet & Free Downloadable Pattern

This DIY Reversible Bonnet & Free Downloadable Pattern is the cutest! If you make one, please share a photo with me!

In an effort to make good on my 6-month-old promise to give you the pattern for the Fleece Bonnet, I tried the same pattern in cotton, finished the edges and made it reversible! Unfortunately the pattern is now about 6-months to small for Quinn. But look at all the fun we had stuffing her giant head in there anyway to take a picture! Quinn wants you to make one so her annoyance is not in vain.

Click through for the Free Reversible Bonnet Pattern and full instructions.


1. Print out the pattern. You could get pretty close to the right size by measuring from the top of baby’s head, down over ear to jawline and adding 3/4″, then printing pattern so your measurement is equal to the arrow-to-arrow height of the Bonnet pattern. At 100% this pattern would likely fit a 3-6 month old.

LINK TO FREE REVERSIBLE BONNET PATTERN

2. Cut the following pieces from your fabric.

  • 1 back – Fabric A
  • 1 back – Fabric B
  • 4 sides – 2 Fabric A (right side and wrong side) & 2 Fabric B (right side and wrong side)
  • 1 strip for ruffle – 3″x 28″
  • (not shown) 1 strip for strap/tie – 3″ x 28″ (for snap closure), longer for tie/bow style

I used Anna Maria Horner Buttoned Up Plum fabric.

And a mystery scrap from my stash.

3. Place sides of Fabric A together, right side facing, and sew along top edge leaving 3/8″ seam

4. Iron seam open. Starting at the center, pin back to sides all the way around. Sew around edge with 3/8″  seam. Be sure to sew top seam opened flat.

5. This is what it will look like turned right-side-out.

Sorry about the creepy doll head!

6. Repeat steps 3-5 for Fabric B. Set both aside.

7. Fold ribbon strip in half the long way and iron. Sew up the 2 short ends with 1/4″ seam.

8. Reverse right-side-out and iron flat.

9. Using a basting stitch (the longest straight stitch your machine offers, likely a 5) sew along the open length of the ribbon at 1/4″ seam.

10. Pull the end of the thread you just sewed and begin to gather ruffle. (If you are not lazy, you can trim off all those ugly threads, or even trim with pinking shears)

11. Wrap the ruffle around the top of your hat as shown below. You want the ruffle to end 3/4″ above bottom of hat (more then what’s shown here, obviously) Adjust the tightness of your ruffle for the correct length.

12. Pin the ruffle in place as shown. Pin from the back through all layers.

13. Reverse Fabric B hood over Fabric A hood (with ruffle, shown above),  align front edge and pin in place on same side as existing pins.

14. Sew through all layers with a straight stitch, 5/8″ from edge.

15. Reverse hat.and set aside.

16. Fold neck tie in half the long way and iron.

17. Open, fold both long edges over 1/4″ and iron edges.

18. Find the center of the strap and pin to the center of the back of the hoods, encasing both layers of the hood with both layers of the strap. Covering the bottom 1/2″ of the hood edge. Note: I pin horizontally like this because I am left-handed but it is fine to pin vertically as well.

19. Work your way around the hat pinning all layers until you reach the edge of your hood as shown below.

20. Sew strap in place from hood edge to hood edge, leaving remaining strap seams open.

21. Cut a 3-4″ piece of elastic. Shorter for a tighter gather at the back of the neck.

22. Slide the elastic into the opening of the strap.

23. Push the elastic in until the edges are aligned with the back seams of the hood. Push the elastic to the bottom of the pocket and pin in place as show. There will be a gather.

24. Using a tight straight stich, do several forward and backward stitches to secure elastic in place. I’m pointing at the stitch in the second photo.

25. Open both ends of strap and fold over 1/4″. Iron.

26. Fold in corners as shown here. Iron. Fold back in half along crease and re-iron.

27. Here is where you can add some customization. If you are tying a bow, skip to step 28. If you would like to do a snap but not have it show, add the snap between the two layers of the strap.

I wanted this classic Girl Scout tie look so I did my snap through both layers, in which case, I could have added the snap after step 28, making the final stitching much easier.

28. Stitch the open seams of your strap closed. I used a zig-zag and went around the entire strap again to secure a few spots where I had missed sewing the strap to the hat earlier but I think the hat would have looked a bit nicer with a straight stitch. Also, baby may find the zig-zag scratchy.

And that’s it! Your reversible bonnet is complete!

If you love the DIY Reversible Bonnet & Free Downloadable Pattern, take a look at our other free baby hat and bonnet sewing patterns.

DIY Baby Bonnet with Leather Ties with Free Pattern

Crochet Bonnet DIY

DIY Fleece Bonnet with Free Pattern

Summery Sun Hat with Free Downloadable Pattern!

Reversible 40’s Inspired Sun Cap with Free Pattern

DIY Reversible Bonnet & Free Downloadable Pattern

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45 Comments

Grace

Yes!! I have been waiting for this since you said you were going to do the fleece bonnet pattern, thank you.

Reply
Julie

That last picture of Quinn is SO SO SO cute. Glad I saw this one – my SIL is having a baby in a few months and this would be an awesome gift!!

Reply
Emily

I'm sewing a Christmas dress for my daughter and have been trying to find a bonnet I can make to match…this is it! I love it 🙂

Reply
Runa

Hi I love this pattern and want to make it for my daughter's friend who'll be turning one in a few months. Am confused about enlarging the pattern. Could you help me please. Thanks

Reply
Gaila

Oh Thank You for this. I’ve got my first granddaughter due in May and I just made her a little sundress and this will go perfect with it.

Reply
A wee bonnet. | Outnumbered

[…] I used some of my favorite fabrics from my stash to make this cute little reversible bonnet using Prudent Baby’s simple tutorial. Ivy looks like she just stepped out of Little House on the Prairie. I mean that in the cutest […]

Reply
Maggie

Have been saving this for nearly a year…. just found I’m having a girl in September! I’m nearly done after 1 1/2 hours… and I’m quite a beginner… I’m excited at how well it is turning out! Thanks for the pattern!

Reply
Crafty Hour

[…] this week and whipped up another bonnet for Abigail – this time fleece. I enlarged the Prudent Baby bonnet pattern to 105%, and followed her fleece version here with a few tweaks. It could have used a […]

Reply
Jessica Arendt

This was my second ever sewing project and I loved your tutorial! Everything was very clear and your pictures make it easy to follow along step by step. I learned a lot of new skills and was able to make something so cute for my baby girl! I am so happy with how it turned out. Thank you!

Reply
Stephanie

Have you tried this with fleece yet. I have a little miss due in November and I want to make a newborn and a 0-3 month winter bonnet for her 🙂

Reply
..tutti al mare! | momYGea

[…] In ogni caso ci verrà utile il cappellino/cuffietta che – con tanto entusiasmo e pochissime competenze – ho cucito qualche settimana fa grazie a questo bellissimo tutorial. […]

Reply
Isabel

Hello from Chile,

Is there any chance that you still have the pattern pleaaase.
Thank you ! 🙂

Reply

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