How I Make Hat Stands (or Bonnet Stands)

Back before school ended, it may have been May, I said I would do a video and post about how I make my hat/bonnet stands. As school is starting tomorrow, I felt I really needed to get this recorded.

Here is a sampling of hat/bonnet stands I use at home and events. The blue stands were made from a 3 legged table and the cross pieces with plaque bases and tops, with the tops covered in velvet. The two tilted stands are from the cross pieces. The pink stands, also with plaque bottoms and tops, were made from spindles sold for a dollar a piece at a yard sale. The unpainted stands farthest to the right are the ones I made first. They are made with dowels, plaque bases, and foam tops covered in velvet. While I like the velvet covers, I found the foam does not hold up to the travel and wear I put them through. I will be replacing the tops of two with wood.

For the center spindle, select or cut, a spindle to your select length. I recommend at least 10″ for a mid-century bonnet or at 14″ for larger bonnets. In the video, I am using a spindle from my local chain hardware store. Initially, I wanted to purchase one table leg, a tall, thin one, similar to the legs I previously used. I found they were very limited in selection now. I selected a spindle from the section of stairway banisters instead. This is on the more expensive end of the pricing. It cost $9.90. I had it cut right at the store because I do not have the space or tools at home to cut properly. As you see in the video, this was not the neatest cut. Also, I found after purchasing there is a hole drilled into the bottom of this style spindle. I prefer to use found spindles from yardsales or roadside, such as those from broken chairs or tables. But, for this video I wanted to have an accurate cost for purchasing from a store.

Another option for shorter stands I may be trying in the future is wooden craft candles. These seem to be sold in pairs or larger groups by some craft sources. This image is from Oriental Trading. I anticipate the bases and tops will need to be glued in place rather than screwed.

The bases and tops I use are the small palques sold at chain craft stores in the unfinished wood section. The bases need to be larger, approximately 7″ by 5″, rectangles, circles, or ovals. These can be combined with a second plaque like the layers of a tiered cake. To do this, a longer screw will be needed. The top should be a round plaque 3″ to 4″ in diameter. For smaller millinery such as 1880s capotes, you may want an even smaller top.

These tops a can be left uncovered, painted or stained as the stand. Or, the top can be covered with a little cotton batting and fabric like velvet or velveteen to add cushion and a little grip inside the hat or bonnet.

Video Example Total Cost: