St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-04-23
HATS MADE OF CORN sHucKs
Novel Headgear Fashioned by Z
Handy Young Woman to
Earn Pin Money.

Last summer 'hit" upon q practi-
cal, though not a new way OF making
some money, namely, making hats OF
corn shucks, writes Miss Helen
Groves, in the Prairie Farmer
Home Magazine. learned to do
this work myself, although I did not
invent them; our grandmothers wore
Just such hats when they were chill
dren. Perhaps theirs were not the
shape that we would choose to wear,
but they certainly could not have been
more becoming.
Last summer I made dozens and doz-
ems of these corn-shuck hats-in all
sizes, receiving an average OF SO cents
apiece for them.
do not live on farm, but have &C
cess to a big corn crib; clinging to
nearly every ear of corn can be found
more or less shucks, some beautifully
tinted in red, pink and brown. These
keep separate from the white shucks.
When get good supply CT both kinds
place them (handy to my sewing ma
chine) in two baskets Now will give
you in minute detail my way for max
ing a hat. cut from piece OF yellow
wrapping paper the size and shape which
I want my hat brim to be, leaving hole
for the crown. l select some of the
widest shucks and stitch them onto the
edge of the paper, making a sort OF
fringe around the brim. Then turn
them backward so as to cover all the
rough edges, and stitch them around
the crown hole, after which cut OF
all projecting ends. This completes a
nice lining for the brim.
After folding a number Of the tinted
shucks into neat points, stitch row
the opposite side of the shuck lining
of points on the edge of the paper on
the opposite side of the shuck lining.
When the first row is completed,
stitch on a second row, placing the YER
tex of the folded shuck little above
where the first row is sewed on. Rows
of folded shucks are sewed on in this
way up to the crown-hole; all project
ing ends being clipped of. Thus, the
brim of the hat is completed; If any
paper is visible, tear it of. Three or
four rows of tinted shucks on the outer
edge of the brim for a border is
enough, and the rest should be plain
white ones.
For the crown, fold piece Of paper
and cut it round-a size or two larger
than the crown hole. Sew the widest
shucks a-ound the edge as around the
brim, only do not turn them back.
Now stitch on folded points in rows to
the center, always keeping the ends
clipped OF so it will not be bulky; and
for the center Of the crown fold col
ored shuck in some pretty design and
stitch it down all around, thus making
a neat finish to the crown.
To put the crown in, gather up the
loose shucks (about four or five inches
from where they are sewed on the
CROWN and sew them on strip OF
cloth. l then cut off the ends and at
tach the finished crown to the brin
from underneath. sewing it in securely
by hand. Now I turn under all rough
edges and sew in an ordinary crown
lining. This leaves the hat ready fol
whatever kind of trimming may be de.
sired. The exact way of making these
shuck hats may vary to suit the maker
and they may be stylish or not as the
shape may be most any one desired
can make two or three hats in ons
day, and can guarantee a very profit.
able business for any one who goes al
it right.