VAL Hatband
60-90 min
Age 8+
What Will You Learn?
We will create a hatband that can easily attach onto a head and light it up! We will measure, cut, and stitch fabric to create it, and insert an LED strip inside. It’s recommended that you consider two great options:
Create this hatband as detailed, super fun
Review the instructions, understand the construction, and then create your own variation!
Attaching LEDs to a hat sounds simple, but there are a lot of ways to go at it! Take a look at the VAL (Versatile, Adjustable, Lightup) Headband instructions for one method. We encourage you to examine the instructions, and then decide if you want to follow along or perhaps do a different style hat! It is helpful that our students have shared their techniques so that everyone can have a look at a multitude of ways to construct wearables!
This construction is ideally done after the designer has come up with a concept or story that they want to communicate, that way it can be customized to a specific purpose. Take a look at the MakeFashion Edu Intro Course for a multi-lesson project on discovering a purpose or theme that you want to communicate with a wearable!
Once this hatband is made you can customize the colors and patterns that the lights inside give off.
About This Adventure
Today, fashion designers are not limited to fabrics in their designs. Technology has become part of our story and is much more accessible. Young designers can use tech such as lights, sensors, and microcontrollers to tell their stories.
In this adventure, you will experience and experiment as we go through the MakeFashion Edu process to support campers as they:
learn – about the elements of fashion and circuits
design – a story and the wearable
construct – a fashion tech piece using recyclable materials and lights
exhibit – be seen! Our favorite medium is the runway.
You will be able to support your designers as they find their voices and tell their own stories through fashion pieces they create and share.
This adventure is divided into several sections, each with its own projects. The bolded project denotes the page you are on. The arrows mark the section you are in.
Get Inspired
Create the Hatband
Step 1
Measure the length around your hat and overlap it by about 5 inches (around 25-28”’) Cut a piece of the wired edge ribbon to that length.
Step 2
Fold the cut edges over about 1” to stop fraying on both ends. (We put fabric glue on the edges for double protection.)
Step 3
Fold the ribbon lengthwise in half and sew the length keeping the stitches close to the wired edges. (A zipper foot works well for this.) Don’t sew the ends. Make sure the tube you just created is large enough to put the lights, connectors or USB cord through easily.
Step 4
Wrap the hat band around the hat and mark the overlap. This is where the Velcro goes. Sew velcro on but only at the top edge by the wire. Make sure you are putting it where it will meet up with the other side. Fabric glue could work for the Velcro as well, but make sure you don’t glue the tube together.
Create the Bow
Step 1
Now it is time to make a bow to hold the battery pack and/or microcontroller. Cut about 16” of the ribbon and fold ends in like you did on the band.Then fold each end in toward the middle about 3”. Open back up.
Step 2
Cut another piece of the ribbon about 4” long. Place it in the center, perpendicular to the longer piece and fold the ends over. Now fold the long ends in again toward the center.
Step 3
Sew along the top and bottom edges to make two pockets.
Step 4
Cut a small piece of Velcro to attach the bow to the hatband. Sew it in the center of the bow, making sure it doesn’t block the pockets. When putting the Velcro on the hatband sew along the bottom edge, keeping the tube opening big enough to slide lights through.
Step 5
Attach the bow to the band. You can leave it flat or pinch the center together for a different look.
Step 6
Put the V.A.L. Hatband on whatever hat you want to tell your story! Use the lights to tell it to the world.
What's Next?
We would love it if this hatband is one component of your wearable story! Advocate for a cause or share your personal story with the world through fashion tech. For the full MakeFashion Edu outfit design course click here!
For a ton of ideas on what to create, have a look at the amazing outfits that have already walked the MakeFashion Edu STEAM Runways, check out the YouTube playlist.
About MakeFashion
MakeFashion Edu is an international non-profit working to promote learning through fashion and tech. Through hosting workshops, reach-out and push-in activities, and larger events, MakeFashion Edu sees providing access for young designers to go to industry and project-based learning as one way to pull local communities together.
SteamHead makerspace is a network of people, spaces, and events who collaborate to improve equity in education as the path forward. We believe that by embracing design thinking and a maker-mindset, education can be more engaging and meaningful, and with that more effective in preparing students for success. Check their website for their courses.
Materials:
- 21/2” wired edge ribbon, any color. (We used white, but other colors would look good too)
- 4” hook & loop fastener (Velcro)
- Scissors
- Measuring tool
- Sewing machine (could be done by hand, but would take a while.)
- Fabric glue (optional)
