Make a Tri-fold Pirate Hat!

Yarr, I noticed that there was a lack of pirate hat Instructables, so I decided this would be my first. Ever want to dress up as a pirate for whatever reason, but have to settle on not wearing a hat because they are so expensive? Well fear no more! TheCaptain is hear with the solution!
This Instructable will cost about $10-$15 (most professional hats are around $40-$50), or less if you have items on hand or are an effective scavenger (or pirate, though I do not condone any unlawful practices of course...).

First, you will need equipment with which to make your hat. You will need:

-A full brimmed sun hat that YOU WILL NOT WEAR AGAIN (I bought mine a few years ago on vacation in Florida for about $10. It's been a little beaten around since)

- Fasteners (I used simple leathercraft rivets, but you could use paper fasteners or something to tie with)

- Tape (if using paper fasteners)

- String or ribbon (I have pictured sued leather ribbon)

- pins (if using ties instead of fasteners)

- feather (optional)

If you have a hat that you want to dye another color, do it the day before to make sure it is dry. I have no idea how to dye anything other than leather, so I just stuck with the natural straw color.

Try folding the brim of your hat to form the general shape to see what you like.

Once you have decided where to set your folds, you will use one of two processes to make the actual fold:

1) If you are using a rivets or fasteners, just push through the material. If you aren't using a material like straw, you might need to punch holes in the hat. If you are using fasteners, tape the part of the fastener on the inside of the hat so it doesn't get caught in your hair.

2) if you are going to stitch the hat (for a more authentic look), you will just pin the folds and do all the stitching later.

Make the second fold across from the first. If you want to make a hat in the style of "The Sea Dog", stop here and leave the back down to keep the sun off your neck.

Now, you will need to find the center line of the hat. I was lucky enough to have a hat with a noticeable ridge right down the center of the top. Set the last fold on this center line on the back of the hat.

If you are using the tie method, it would now be time to go over all your pins with the ribbon. I will go over this method in another edition. If you want to see how the tie looks, look at Captain Jack's hat in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean".

If you want to make any embellishments, now is the time to do it! I stuck a pelican feather in it, but the possibilities are truly endless.

Now put on your hat, grasp your cutlass, and start plundering!