Wayne Peterson, founder of LTLCO, designed a FREE pond-inspired hat patch pattern to take your hat to the next level! Follow his step-by-step instructions to make a custom stand out hat of your own.

“This project was exciting for me because I got to take my favorite hat blank and flip it with a custom bill, patch and upgrade the strap. Having the Tandy strap materials and the patch was a huge leg up too, making this whole thing very approachable for any level of familiarity in leathercraft. This whole project uses entry level tools but creates a very elevated piece that anybody’s uncle would love!” - Wayne

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Instructions:

Preparation

Step 1: Trace the bill of your hat onto a piece of paper, cut it out, then trace it on your piece of leather.

Step 2: Cut your hatbill out of the piece of leather.

• Pro-Tip! Cut this piece out slightly larger so you can add it to the bill and then re-trace the excess so you can get a perfect fit.

Step 3: Enlarge or shrink the bill pattern to get the perfect sizing for your hat or position the pattern in a location you'd like.

Tooling

Step 1: Wet your leather belt with an ample amount of water using either a sponge or a spray bottle. (User discretion just ensure it's wet enough to tool and not too wet where it becomes difficult)

Step 2: Place the tooling design on top of the leather and begin tracing the pattern with your stylus onto the leather. 

Step 3: Begin carving following your tracing lines with your swivel knife.

• Maker Tip! Now's a good time for a break if you need it - or if you'd want to continue be sure to wet your leather, it probably needs it!

Step 4: Tape the back of your leather with painter or masking tape to prevent your pieces from widening or stretching out while you tool on it

Step 5: Set a wing divider to the width of the paper pattern to trace the entire oval patch and the outter most part of the hat bill.

Step 6: Tool the pattern using the following stamps in order: 

Oval Patch (Duck Head)

• B204 Craftool® Stamp Beveler Lined (SKU: 6204-00)
  • This stamp is used on the under side of the duck eye on the oval
• S724 Craftool® Stamp Seeder Serrated (SKU: 6724-00)
  • This is the ducks eye on the oval patch 
• B802 Craftool® Stamp Beveler Checked (SKU: 6802-01)
  • This stamp is used to outline the duck head
• B200 Craftool® Stamp Beveler Smooth (SKU: 6200-00)
  • This is used under the duck jaw
• The following stamps are background and used largest to smallest
  • E294-03 Craftool® Stamp Abstract Matting (SKU: 66294-03)
    
  • E294 Craftool® Stamp Abstract Matting (SKU: 66294-00)
    
  • E294-04 Craftool® Stamp Abstract Matting (SKU: 66294-04)
• All other lines are decorative and do not need to be beveled

Bill

• B802 Craftool® Stamp Beveler Checked (SKU: 6802-01)
  • This stamp is used to outline the ducks (not under the duck), grass and cattails
• B200 Craftool® Stamp Beveler Smooth (SKU: 6200-00)
  
  • This stamp is used to detail all the water, underside of the ducks, and their wings
    
• All other lines on the ducks are decorative and do not need to be beveled

Step 7: Use a #2 Edge Beveler to round the edges of your hat bill (top side only!)

Step 8 (Optional): Antique, dye and seal your leather at this stage. Burnish your outside hat bill edges after dyeing if you'd like to as well. Allow everything to completely dry before continuing.  

Step 9: Take your stitching chisels and pre-punch holes along the lines you made with the wing divider on your patch.

Step 10: Using contact cement apply it to the grain side (fuzzy side) of the leather and the locations of the hat you'll be gluing the pieces to. (Be careful applying the oval patch - you may want to do one piece at a time!) Allow this to dry for an ample amount of time.

• Maker Tip! To get the perfect spot glue the center of the patch and use positioning needles to keep the patch in the perfect spot.

Step 11: Now, punch out the holes on the bill of the hat after allowing the glue to set.

Step 12: Begin saddle stitching the pre-punched out stitching holes.

Braided Hatband

Step 1: Take three strands of leather lace. Secure a clean knot at one end and begin a simple three strand braid.

• Maker Tip! Use this braiding book for instructions.

Step 2: Stretch and work the braid so it’s tight and even to prevent expanding over time. Secure a second simple knot at the end of the strand.

Step 3: Use your thread and needle to secure the braided chord to the hat with a single stitch through the braid just in front of the knot on both sides. 

Custom Adjustable Strap

Step 1: Carefully remove the existing adjustable strap on the back by cutting JUST the threads anchoring it to the hat.

Step 2: Cut the hat band with plenty of room to work with on both ends.

Step 3: Assemble the buckle end of the strap, insert it into the right side of the hat and secure it to the hat by setting rivets through the two holes provided, using an awl to poke through the hat fabric will help you line up and set the rivets.

Step 4: Insert the adjustment hole ends into the buckle as if it were a buckled at a middle hole and find the desired opening length that fits.

Step 5: Leave room for adjustment up or down. Mark where you will punch two holes for rivets 1” apart.

Step 6: Trim the excess hat band length and re-insert the adjustment end into the hat, poke the rivet holes through the hat and set the final two rivets. 

         

LTLCO

The majority of my work is handmade items. I love what I do because in addition to drawing and tooling the artwork, I get to create the entire piece from scratch and flex some technical design in conceiving and creating all the details to maximize functionality. The style of tooling I gravitate towards is what I call “meat and potato’s”, using a small selection of tools for a bold, high impact product. Nothings overdone, which helps build a cohesive scene among all the elements and translates to a simple but strong scene.

Website: https://ltlco.bigcartel.com/

Instagram: @ltlco