Easy Mini Top Hat Tutorial

 Having received a surprise invitation to a convention in less than a month, I found myself in need of something outrageous and awesome to wear, and fast. So of course I went for a mini top hat.
I ended up getting caught up in the creation process and taking fewer pictures than I should have, so please let me know if this makes no sense.

You will need: An empty cereal box
                       A disposable cup
                       A hot glue gun
                       Some fabric (I up-cycled from an old shirt)
                       A ribbon


1. Cut two circles, about 1.5 inches larger in diameter than the disposable cup. Glue the two circles together to make a sturdy base for the top hat.








2. Cut a piece of fabric around the cardboard circle. Place the cardboard in the center and fold in the fabric so it wraps around both sides of the cardboard, with the gathering point in the middle. Glue it into place.

3. Trace the open end of the cup onto the cardboard. Cut out the resulting circle and cover it with fabric using the same method as in the base.













4. Cut a large rectangular piece of fabric and wrap it around the cup so that the sides are covered. Glue the bottom of the fabric-wrapped cup to the top of the base.















5. Glue on the top portion of the hat. Tie a ribbon around the point where the base and cup meet to hide any drippings of glue, and, if desired, adorn it with feathers, pins, or whatever else you'd like.

6. Glue it to a headband, ribbon, hair clip, etc, to keep it securely in place. It also makes a nice decoration for a steampunk-themed room.

Charles River Musuem of Industry

Big shiny machines. *drool*

As I've been traveling the East Coast and visiting various relatives, I absolutely had to drag my family to the Charles River Museum of Industry, given its fame in the steampunk community. At least once in the past, they have turned the entire town of Waltham, Massachusetts into a fantastic steam city with their Steampunk Festival, and, if I'm not mistaken, they frequently host steampunk-themed exhibits. Sadly, I missed these events, but I still found the museum to be worth a visit.

My hat. BE JEALOUS!

Remarkably, I managed not to drool on any of the machines in joy. I spent an hour or so staring happily at the multitude of brass gears, and then bought a nice hat in gift shop on the way out.