here is the basic hat I've made for my steampunk cowboy hat

I started with a sheet of faux leather I had sitting around and cut two round circles that would become the brim. I them measured the circumference of my head where I wanted the had to sit. I cut two equal lengths that would become the crown of the hat. I sewed those into a snug loop and tested them for fit. I pinned that to the brim and marked out the inner circle. since I wanted a stiff brim I also took a plastic for sale sign and cut it slightly smaller on the outer edge and larger on the interior circle. Not exactly in period but what the hell. I then started sewing. Working arround the brim of the has sewing the top and bottom pieces together. halfway through I slipped in the plastic sheet, and finished sewing the brim, I then took the crown and triple stitched it to the inner edge of the brim, Finally I used one of the pieces cut from the blank brims and sewed that onto the top of the crown.

its a long process sewing by hand, but I don't think its half bad as my first ever hat.

I'm planning on cleaning up the brim, adding a hat bands, I'm thinking barb wire strung with bird skulls, and possibly getting some dark brown shoe polish to stain the hat with... what do you think?