How To Make A Kentucky Derby Hat Last Minute

So your best friend and/or boyfriend called you at the last minute and asked you to join them at the Kentucky Derby or their mom's Kentucky Derby-themed barbecue or whatever. Since you were planning on watching Netflix on Saturday and ignoring the horse race entirely, you don't have an outfit or a hat picked out. Don't panic! You can totally DIY a Kentucky Derby hat last minute, using items you probably have lying around your house. We'll talk about how to get revenge on your impulsive friend later.

While a great hat is the key to doing a Kentucky Derby-themed event right, you unfortunately don't have time to put together something as crazy as an owl sculpture or a giant bouquet of flowers. But that doesn't mean you can't make something great that looks like it came straight out of a hat store, instead of being molded together from random things you found within arms reach.

To prove that making a last minute Kentucky Derby hat is as easy as one, two, three, I went ahead and prepped this little guide to help you. From gathering the materials, to putting the materials on the hat, I created a ready to wear Kentucky Derby hat in 7 minutes — so you definitely can, too! Take a look at the three steps I took to make a great hat that may even rival whatever creation Lauren Conrad is planning on DIY'ing this year. OK, so maybe that's pushing it, but at least you one be the only hatless belle at the ball.

Step 1: Gather the Ingredients

I literally just ran into every room of my house and started gathering anything I thought would look great or unexpected on a Kentucky Derby hat. The one key piece for making any Derby hat is a base. I, thankfully, just bought this straw hat, but you can use other pieces as well! A simple headband with bows, flowers, or plastic horses superglued on would also work.

For this specific hat, I grabbed a silk scarf, a piece of twine, superglue, and flowers from my neighbors garden. Yes, those flowers are real. And no, I did not just steal them. I hadn't planted flowers in my own house yet, so my neighbor thankfully let me steal these from her new garden.

Step 2: Assemble

This took a lot of trial and error for me. The scarf was super wide, so I decided to fold it, hotdog length, three times until it was skinny enough to fit over the brim. Then I tied it in a large bow.

Looking at my remaining pieces, I realized I actually didn't need the superglue or the twine.

Step 3: Ta-Da!

As a final step, I put the flowers inside of the bow so they stuck up high above the rim. Although I am not going to the Kentucky Derby this year (unless I get a last-minute invite!) I would definitely wear this hat in public.

Images: Hayli Goode