Rule Your Derby Party With This Hat DIY

Being a born and bred Southern girl (belle would take it a little too far), there are few things I find more enjoyable in the month of May than getting all dressed up in my cutest, girliest spring sundresses and holding an ice-cold sweet tea in my hand while taking in the Kentucky Derby with all of my best friends. And since no Derby outfit is complete without a floppy, embellished, oversized hat, you better believe I'll be wearing one of those come Saturday evening, too.

But in case you forgot about the Derby this year and are in desperate, last-minute need of a hat for your horse-racing celebration, I've got a simple solution for you: just make it yourself! Think I'm insane? Trust me, it's crazy easy.

1. Gather your materials

For this surprisingly simple project, all you need is a classic oversized sunhat (a woven version is the most traditional, and you can find them in practically any color), ribbon, faux-flowers in the color and style of your choice, and a glue gun. If you want extra embellishments like sequins, pearls, beads, and more, now would be the time to grab those, too.

2. Glue your ribbon trim

Cut a strip of ribbon to fit around the base of your sunhat (with just a little bit of extra space to overlap the ends), then use your glue gun to glue the ends together. To keep the ribbon secured to your hat, use small amounts of glue in a few places around the base of the hat, rather than just one big glob where the ends meet.

3. Make a floral base

Remove the faux-flowers from the end of each stem, then trim any extra plastic from the back of the flower with scissors. Starting with your biggest flowers (I went with three, but feel to go add-on crazy), glue them in a straight line to your ribbon, pressing the flowers into the ribbon to ensure a tight hold.

4. Finish the arrangement

Finally, glue the rest of your smaller, accent flowers to the ribbon and around the base flowers. This is the step where you can get really creative, so I suggest playing around with the design before gluing to make sure you're getting the arrangement you really want. Also, don't be afraid to add more embellishments to your hat, whether it's an oversized ribbon bow or lots of shiny sequins — the bigger the better!

5. Wear it with confidence

Once you're all done, it's time to slip on your sundress (preferably one that shows which horse you're rooting for), throw on that gorgeous new Derby hat, mix up a mint julep, and hit your Kentucky Derby party in style!

See, I told you it was simple! And who wouldn't love a hat even Tara Lipinksi and Johnny Weir would approve of?