Make your own fedora or felt hat: Two-day hat making workshop

Description

$340.00 3.5 Hours / Session Course/Workshop All Levels, Beginner Friendly In-Person Class Materials: Included

East Village in New York

Join a two-part felt hat making workshop in NYC and create your own wearable hat in a working millinery studio.

In this hands-on class led by Julia Knox, you’ll learn how a classic felt hat is blocked, shaped, finished, and trimmed. Choose from styles such as a fedora, porkpie, cloche, or top hat, then work with guidance to create a handmade hat that fits your personal style.

By the end, you’ll leave with a finished felt hat ready to wear and add to your wardrobe.

Please note that this two-day workshop has different hours each day.

• Day 1: Saturday, September 26, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Due to a system limitation, the listed end time may appear as 12:30 PM during booking or in confirmation emails. However, this Day 1 session will end at 12:00 PM.

• Day 2: Sunday, September 27, from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. Please note that the Day 2 session will start at 10:00 AM.

• Total workshop time: 6.5 hours across two days.

This class is beginner-friendly for hat making, but basic hand sewing skills are required. You do not need previous hat-making experience, but should be comfortable threading a needle, tying a knot, and making simple hand stitches.

If you are new to hand sewing, please practice before class. You can copy and paste this YouTube link into your browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhZTc1x1-pM

You can also search online for “basic hand sewing skills for beginners” and practice simple stitches before joining the class.

What You’ll Learn

  • The basics of blocking a felt hat
  • Explore classic hat shapes, including fedora, porkpie, cloche, and top hat
  • Understand felt hat materials and possible forms
  • Shape, finish, and add trims to personalize your chosen hat
  • Leave with a handmade felt hat to wear
  • If you’ve never sewn before, please practice the basic hand sewing skills mentioned in the description before joining this class.

How The Class Works

  • This is a two-day workshop. Day 1 is Saturday September 26th 2026 from 9am to 12pm (3 hours), and Day 2 is Sunday September 27th 2026 from 10am to 1:30pm (3.5 hours).
  • On the first day, your instructor will introduce felt hat materials, possible shapes, and the blocking process. You’ll begin blocking your chosen hat style, such as a fedora, porkpie, cloche, or top hat.
  • On the second day, you’ll return to complete your hat, focusing on shaping, finishing, and adding trims, with guidance from Julia throughout the process.
  • Basic hand sewing skills are required, so please practice simple hand stitches before class if you are new to sewing.

Supplies And Materials

  • Materials for one felt hat are included in the class price.
  • If there is enough time and you choose to make a second piece to finish at home, additional materials for the second hat are not included and will require an extra charge.

Space and Atmosphere

  • East Village Hats is a cozy working boutique and millinery workshop in the East Village. Visitors are surrounded by hat blocks, trims, ribbons, and tools used in daily production. Classes take place in a real shop environment, so the atmosphere feels intimate, active, and close to the materials.

Cancellation Policy

We aim to be fair to both learners and instructors while ensuring artists and studios are paid for their work. This policy helps ensure instructors and studios are compensated for their time and preparation. We encourage learners to review class details carefully before booking and to reach out with any questions in advance.

Tickets are refundable if canceled at least 7 days before the event. Please note that processing fees are non-refundable, even if your ticket is canceled. If you’re unable to attend, you’re welcome to give your ticket to a friend. Please have them check in using your name.

In the rare case that the event does not meet minimum participation requirements, we’ll contact ticket holders at least 48 hours in advance with the option to reschedule or receive a full refund (excluding third-party processing fees).

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at suport@dobedous.com.

Location

East Village, East Village Hats, 80 E 7th St, (Located at Street Level), New York, NY, 10003 View Direction

Additional information

Enter through the street-level storefront entrance. The space is wheelchair accessible.

Your Instructor

East Village Hats is a working millinery studio and boutique in New York City, led by English milliner Julia Emily Knox. Trained at FIT, Julia joined Barbara Feinman Millinery in 2012 and took over the business when it moved to its current East Village location in 2016. The studio is also home to a collection of traditional millinery tools, including an antique sewing machine that reflects Julia’s appreciation for the craft’s history and enduring techniques.

Through its class program, East Village Hats introduces students to hat making, repair, styling, and related creative skills in a hands-on way. Taught by Julia and East Village Hats milliners, the workshops give students a chance to learn traditional tools, methods, and materials from people who work with the craft every day.

Who This Is For

  • Adults, 18+
  • 16-17 with a parent or legal guardian

Good To Know Tips

Arrive a little early

Please arrive about 10 minutes before the class starts so you can settle in comfortably.

Check your confirmation email

After booking, you’ll receive a confirmation email with directions and any important details for the class.

What to expect

Class format, materials, and preparation are all outlined in the class description. Most classes are beginner-friendly unless noted otherwise.

About the instructor

All classes are taught by vetted artists and makers who are experienced in both their craft and teaching.

Why DoBeDoUs

We offer local, artist-led classes that support ongoing creative learning and bring people together through community.

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East Village Hats

What we love about this studio

Teaching Rooted in Traditional Millinery

East Village Hats teaches from the perspective of a working millinery studio. Julia Emily Knox and East Village Hats milliners bring their professional experience in making, repairing, restoring, and styling hats into the classroom. Their teaching is practical and material-led, giving students a chance to learn traditional tools, methods, and construction techniques as they are used in real studio work.

Encouraging, Hands-On Teaching

Classes at East Village Hats are small, focused, and hands-on. Students often describe the instructors as knowledgeable, helpful, and encouraging, whether they are beginners or already studying millinery. The atmosphere feels approachable and supportive, with enough guidance for students to try unfamiliar techniques without feeling lost.

An Authentic East Village Hat Studio

Classes take place inside an intimate working boutique and workshop in the East Village. The space is filled with felts, straws, trims, sewing tools, and a long-collected set of hat blocks, including antique forms over a century old and newer designs by Julia. It gives students a close view of the materials, tools, and everyday setting of a real neighborhood hat studio.

View School’s Profile

Make your own felt hat in a two-day workshop inside a working NYC millinery studio.

Still Have Questions?

If you don’t see what you’re looking for, view our FAQs or contact us.

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