Sewing Essentials: Easy Berets

Sewing an easy beret 

Pictures by Julia Magsombol

Let's admit it: Berets are perfect to wear in any season, but they look the best in the fall and winter. Berets were popularized in 1800’s France by the working classes, before being adapted by French and British militaries, and eventually became a fashion statement. Although berets were created a long time ago, it's still trendy today. 

You can wear them on any occasion, formal or informal, at any season too! I tend to wear black or brown berets during fall and winter to balance the neutral colours of the other clothes I’m wearing during these seasons. Berets are comfortable, starting with their soft material, and comfortably cover your head in the cold. If you’re looking for a fun, easy project look no further- these hats are easy to sew, and with a basic knowledge of sewing, will probably take you less than an hour to finish one. With five simple steps, you can have one and wear them any way you want, instead of buying one at the store! They can be made from various fabrics. In this tutorial, I will be using corduroy for this beret tutorial. 

The best fabric to start out with as a beginner is to use wool-felt fabric, which you can buy at your local Fabricland, Michaels, Walmart, or Dollarama for less than ten dollars. Dollar Tree also sells wool-felt fabric for $1.25 per piece. If you want to save money, Dollar Tree also sells them for $1.25. 

NOTE: This is standard size, so this could fit anyone. Below is the circumference and diameter: 

Circumference: 12 inch 

Diameter: 6 inch

You’ll be making your beret with the help of two patterns. 

Let's get started. 

Materials needed: 

• Sewing machine 

• Fabric (½ a yard) 

• Scissor  

• Construction paper or any paper sized 9” by 12” for patterns 

• Pens

• Compass  

• Ruler 

• A needle  

• Thread (matching the color of your fabric) 

• Sewing pins 

• Fabric chalk 

Step One – The 1st Pattern 

Grab a paper and pen. You’ll need to draw a 12 inch circle. For an easier shortcut, fold the paper in half. Get your compass and draw a 6-inch half-circle instead, and cut out the marked area. 

If you open the piece you cut, you’ll have a whole 12 inch circle pattern.  

Step Two – The 2nd Pattern 

Repeat the first step and draw a 6-inch circle on the folded paper. Make sure it has the exact measurement as the first pattern. Cut them out. 

Next, draw a 2.5 to 3 inch half-circle, from the folded side of the paper. Cut it out. 

Note: Don't make the inner circle larger than three inches, or your beret will be bigger and loose as this pattern is for your head. 

Now you have two patterns.  

First Pattern: A full 12-inch circle pattern

Second Pattern: A full 12-inch circle pattern that has an inner (2.5 - 3 inch) circle or “hole” with it. 

Now we're done with the patterns! 

Step Three – Cut Out the Fabric

Grab the fabric and fold it in half, with right sides of the fabric facing together. Get your first pattern and make sure that it is folded too. Align the pattern's folded side with the fabric's folded side. Place sewing pins on them so they won't move once you cut them. After pinning the pattern on the fabric, you can cut it out. 

Fold another fabric in half. Grab the 2nd pattern and repeat the steps from the previous one. 

In this part, you have to cut out the “inner half-circle” of this pattern to ensure there is a hole too. Make sure you don't cut this section too large, as this is the area that will be placed on your head. Certain fabric stretches and if you make this part bigger, your beret will be oversized and loose.  

Now you have two cut-out fabrics:  

• A 12 inch circle fabric 

•  A 12 inch circle fabric that has a hole with it. 

Step Four – Sew them Together.  

Overlay the two fabrics and pin them together, making sure that the wrong side of the fabric is facing outwards on both pieces. 

Optional:  

While this is optional, this step could help you to sew your beret equally. 

1. Get your compass and pen. From the hole of the beret, measure it one cm. Use your fabric chalk and trace a circle around it. 
   

2. Get your ruler. Place your ruler from the traced circle until the top edge of the beret. This should have a measurement of 6.5 cm. 
   

3. Trace a circle around the top edge of the beret, and sew it closed 
   

4. Flip your beret inside out and flatten it out. 

Just a few more steps, and you're almost done!

Step Five – Like a Cherry on a Cake (The Top of the Beret) 

Cut a thin piece of fabric with the measurements of 3 by 5 cm long. Fold it twice in half. 

Grab your needle and thread.

Hand sew the folded cut fabric on the centre of the beret. Now it's finished! You finally have a beret! You could also make a beret by hand sewing it, though it may take longer.  

Now that you’ve made one and have the left-over patterns, you can sew more berets of your choice!

Let us know what you thought about this tutorial and what others you’d like to see in the comments below!

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