Every Thanksgiving, moms and kids have a fun time creating Thanksgiving crafts, especially the making of Pilgrim hats. It also seems that every year, the traditional black hat with a belt buckle is ingenuously created to wear, hung as an ornament, or made as a centerpiece.

In researching favorite Thanksgiving crafts, there is one item that has rarely been mentioned – a Pilgrim’s Bonnet. While you may see plenty of assorted Pilgrim’s hats for men and boys, it’s time to share a few tips on how to make Pilgrim bonnets for women and girls.

If you are good at sewing, there are plenty of online sites where you can print out a pattern and make a lovely bonnet. If you would like to keep it simple, you can make a bonnet out of white paper. At your local office supply store, you will be able to locate 12×15 white paper. Lay it out on the table, and fold the back underneath about two inches and scotch tape the fold to the back of the paper. Take both corners of the top section and fold them down so they meet in the middle, then scotch tape both corners to the middle section. This is the basis of the hat. In order to wear it, fold it over your head or that of your daughter, and take a hole puncher and punch a hole at each bottom end. Take two pieces of thin white ribbon and put each one through the hole, knotting it from the inside. Now you can take each piece of ribbon that has been secured in place and tie it around the chin. Voila!

There are some wonderful traditional Pilgrim hats which can be made as centerpieces. One such hat was made using black felt material which lined a flower pot. Then a beautiful large buckled strap was placed around the middle of the pot. What was so unique about this piece was the black felt was draped to lie flat, so that when set on a table, it made a lovely centerpiece.

There are so many ways in which you can use Thanksgiving crafts to make Pilgrim hats. Be sure to include bonnets as well. Whether you make them to wear, or have the kids cut and paste to hang them proudly in their room or the kitchen. Either way, it is not only fun, but you can also start a new tradition by having the entire family wear hats and bonnets this Thanksgiving.