Make a Hat Day

Categories:: Special Interest
Tags:: Activities Fun Hobby
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Every September 15
Holiday emoji:: 👒

Make a Hat Day inspires creativity every September 15, inviting everyone to design and craft their own unique headwear. Unleash your inner milliner, experiment with materials, and express your personal style. Grab your supplies, gather your friends, and make a statement with a custom-made hat!

Deals
Platforms
Social
Brands
Hero
History
Timeline
Businesses
FAQs
Importance
Celebrate
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Expected Make a Hat Day Deals

While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows that Make a Hat Day inspires deals from major craft retailers and fabric stores. Expect special discounts on felt, fabric, embellishments, and hat forms from brands like JOANN, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby. Online fabric suppliers such as Fabric.com (an Amazon company) and specialty millinery suppliers like Judith M Millinery Supply House often run sales on materials. Look for tutorials and DIY kits from smaller online shops like Etsy sellers. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as September 15 approaches.

Platform Guide for Make a Hat Day

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #MakeAHatDay. Share photos or reels of your hat-making process, from concept to finished product. Show off your unique design!

TikTok

Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #MakeAHatDay. Create a fun time-lapse video of your hat being made, or a ‘reveal’ of your finished creation set to trending audio.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #MakeAHatDay. Post pictures of your handmade hats and encourage friends to share their own creations in the comments.

Make a Hat Day Hero

Philip Treacy

Philip Treacy is an Irish milliner who has designed hats for royalty, celebrities, and fashion houses since the early 1990s. Renowned for his sculptural and avant-garde creations, his work has redefined contemporary millinery. Treacy's innovative designs are often considered works of art, pushing the boundaries of what a hat can be and inspiring countless aspiring hat makers globally.

History of Make a Hat Day

Humans have had a long history with hats. What first evolved as a necessity, soon became a class symbol. Now, hats contribute more towards making a fashion statement. The need to cover our heads isn’t unique to one continent either. Hats have found a place in every culture’s history.

Hats trace back their origins to the Bronze age. A man’s body adorning a hat, dating back to 3,300 BC, was found in the mountains connecting Italy and Austria. Over the centuries, hats have been used as a way of expressing one’s religious identity, status, political affiliation, and style preferences. It’s wonderful how a single accessory can redefine your entire look.

Although the origins of this holiday are unknown, the intent behind it is clear — make your hat and rock it throughout the day. It’s not the fabric or style that matters, but your desire to be as creative as you can be.

Make a Hat Day timeline

1793

The Top Hat is Invented

A Frenchman named George Dunnage wears a top hat for the first time in England

1812

The Top Hat is Patented

Londoner Thomas Francis Dollman patents design for travel-friendly collapsible top hats.

1850

Lincoln and the Hat

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln adds a top hat to his daily attire and mints a signature style.

1935

Top Hat; the Musical

Astaire and Ginger Rogers immortalize the top hat with the screwball musical comedy ‘Top Hat’,

How Businesses Can Celebrate Make a Hat Day

Local craft stores can host ‘Make Your Own Hat’ workshops, providing materials and guidance for participants to create unique headwear. Boutiques could feature a ‘Hat Bar’ where customers customize pre-made hats with ribbons, pins, and fabric scraps. Restaurants might offer a discount to patrons wearing handmade hats, encouraging a festive atmosphere. These activations foster community engagement and boost sales of related products.

Make a Hat Day FAQs

When is Make a Hat Day?

Make a Hat Day 2026 falls on Tuesday, September 15. It’s the perfect mid-week opportunity to unleash your creativity and craft some unique headwear.

How popular is hat making as a hobby?

Hat making, or millinery, has seen a resurgence in popularity, especially with the rise of DIY culture and online tutorials. Thousands of enthusiasts globally engage in crafting custom hats, from simple fabric designs to intricate fascinators and fedoras, sharing their creations across social media platforms.

What are the essential tools for making a hat?

Essential tools for basic hat making include a sewing machine or needle and thread, fabric shears, measuring tape, pins, and an iron. For more advanced millinery, you might need hat blocks, a steamer, a thimble, and specialized glues or wires to shape and finish your creations.

What is the difference between a milliner and a hat maker?

Historically, a milliner primarily designed and created women’s hats, often focusing on intricate, decorative pieces like fascinators and bonnets. A hat maker, or hatter, traditionally focused on men’s hats, including fedoras, top hats, and bowlers, often working with felt or straw and using blocking techniques.

How To Celebrate Make a Hat Day

Research and learn about the types of hat
Put your thinking hat on and learn about all the popular types of hats. This will not only help you in learning the varieties of hats but will also help you in narrowing down the options for your hat.
Organize a hat themed party for friends and family
There is no better way to celebrate than with the people you love. Surprise them with a hat decoration party and incentivize their hard work with gifts and tokens of appreciation.
Share your joy on social media with the hashtag #MakeaHatDay
Snap the perfect selfie with your self-made hat and share the joy with the world.

5 Facts About Hats That Will Blow Your Mind

Wear a hat or break the law
Elizabeth I made a law binding men and boys over the age of 7 to wear hats on Sundays and holidays.
Fedora, an invention for women
Fedora was initially meant to be worn exclusively by women — now it’s born by both genders.
Hatters for men, milliners for women
Those who supply men’s hats are called hatters, whereas women hat suppliers are called milliners.
Mad as a hatter, with good reason
Long ago, hat makers used mercury in hats, which led to chronic mercury poisoning, giving birth to this idiom.
Secure the head and slash your cold
Your head loses about 20% of your body heat. Adorning a hat can trap the heat and keep you warm for days.

Why We Love Make a Hat Day

There’s a hat for every season
A sun hat for the summer, a beanie for the winter. Hats are versatile and come in every shape and size. It’s the utility of a hat that makes it so much more than an afterthought accessory.
It gets your creative juices flowing
When was the last time you wore something that you made all by yourself? Make a Hat Day brings out your creative side, and a little glitter never hurts anyone.
It’s a fun activity for kids
Hats are fun to wear and giving kids a reign over design and shapes can help them get familiar with the history of hats.