How to Make a Button or Snap Sunbonnet with Only Two Main Pattern Pieces

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Make this really cute Button Sunbonnet Pattern yourself in a few hours. I saw it on the internet and it intrigued me because it’s a bit different from the gathered bonnets we make. I think it was called a button or snap bonnet because the cap is attached to the brim by snaps or buttons.

The information on it suggested that it is a bonnet pattern that was printed in an old Work Basket magazine article. Does anyone remember those? I do……they had the most fabulous tatting and knitting patterns! Anyway, it appeared in the Work Basket in the 1950’s which suggested that housewives at the time still wore work bonnets when spring cleaning at home or working in the garden.

I noticed that there were no ties on the bonnet or in the ‘pattern’. The pattern itself was actually just a sketch and though it showed no ties, nor were any suggested in the brief 2 paragraph article, I thought I would add them anyway. I didn’t think the bonnet would be stable enough to stay on if anyone would be doing any serious hoeing in the garden, hiking etc. So in my pattern, I simply added ties. If they feel intrusive to the wearer, it’s very easy to just tuck them up inside the bonnet during wear.

This bonnet also showed a bit of lace around the edges. While that is no problem to add, in fact it’s super easy to do, the few instructions I had suggested adding trim. Adding it around the bonnet brim as well was a way to tie the bonnet all together color-wise and that’s what I chose to do. Sew the lace on if you like. It will definitely add a bit of class to the bonnet for sure!

Although there were some measurements given, which I tried to follow the best I could, I think I either must have misjudged when drawing out the pattern or the drawing image didn’t quite match up. But I feel that I came pretty close. I am going to tweak the button bonnet pattern a bit til I get it the way I think it should be, but will also leave the original as a secondary choice.

The following is what I did to make the bonnet and I did my best to include measurements when I could. At the very end, I will have the pattern pieces with measurements on them if you want to take a try at this yourself.

NOTE; Most (but not all) of the images will have really LARGE files to view if you click on photo in the lower right hand corner. This will give you a closeup bird's eye view of them if you need to see the images up close. Thought I've reduced the file size as much as possible to curb slow download times. there may be still some lag due to having to leave the images large enough to see.

IMAGE 1

The pattern piece at the left is approximately 20 inches long and 9 inches wide. It has to be placed on the fold to cut out the bonnet back. The squares that I lined on paper to outline the pattern piece are around 2 ¼” to 2 ½” wide and high.

IMAGE TWO

I placed three lines on the brown paper at what I would consider the ‘neck’ of the pattern piece and labeled them 1, 2, and 3. This was to mark where to fold over ( 2 being the center where the black arrow/notches are and 1 and 3 meeting at the bottom, then folding over) in order to make a drawstring casing but in retrospect, I made them a bit too close together. You can see on the right, on the material, that I had folded the material up and pinned it but it’s not even a half inch when folded. This would make it far too small to run a drawing string through. I will widen these lines later when I make a new pattern. I would recommend either making these lines wider or just sewing a casing like I did in IMAGE THREE.

IMAGE THREE

So I chose to make a casing out of seam binding instead. I cut a tiny eyelet in the center for the drawstring to be pulled through, and then I top stitched the binding to the cap area but sewed at the base where the neckline would be.

IMAGE FOUR

Cut a piece of material about 14 inches long and one inch wide. Fold in the long edges inward to the center, then do it once more. Press and top stitch. Pull the drawstring through the casing and at each end, keep it in place with a pin. Pull the drawstring through the eyelet and cut.

MAKING THE BUTTON SUNBONNET PATTERN BRIM

I will have to make another brim as I accidentally deleted the photo. But I'll do my best to explain.
I cut two brim pieces from regular material and then placed them right sides together. Then I cut one more of denim (you can also use pellon) for the interior. Because it's heavy weight material, it will give some weight and structure to the bonnet brim and keep it from being floppy.

Put the denim on the top of the other two pieces, pin and then trim edges if needed. Sew around the outside edge of the sun bonnet brim about the width of the foot. Trim close to the edge, then turn inside out so that the right sides face outwards and the denim is inside. Press. Top stich the outside edge of the sunbonnet brim about the width of the foot. Working your way to the center of the bonnet, 'quilt' the brim making each successive row about 1 inch away from the previous one.

Press. Then zig sag or serge the raw edges and press once more.

IMAGE FIVE

Take the binding and, as much as possible since the outside brim edge will be thick, keep it centered in the middle of the bias tape, fold over the top of the bias tape and top stitch.

Take the seam binding and working with the back cap piece, sew the binding around the entire piece. Keep working the material to the interior center of the binding as much as possible while top stitching.

IMAGE SIX

Top stitch as close as possible to the seam binding edge. Ease gently around corners where needed. If it's been centered properly, you will see that the top stich will meet on the bottom side and will have stitched the seam binding to the bonnet brim.

IMAGE SEVEN

I marked approximately where I would like to place the buttons or snaps on the brim and then tried to measure on the brim cap where the corresponding snap parts would go. When I make modifications on my second bonnet and make a true pattern for testing, the bonnet snaps or button placement will be more certain.

This gives you an idea where they should be placed. To make things as equal as possible, start with the center of the brim, then the center of the bonnet cap and mark it (BLACK X's) Then start at the neckline of the cap (BLUE X's) and match them to the outside edges of the bonnet brim. Do the same for the remainder of the button or snap placement.

Sew the snaps on. Attach the brim to the snap sunbonnet cap.

IMAGE EIGHT

With the casing sewn on, the drawstring pulled through , I pulled the drawstring towards the middle and tied it.

This is the rear view of the finished snap bonnet or button sunbonnet.

This is the side view of the Bonnet.

This is the final view, a 3/4's view, of the Button Sunbonnet.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE A SNAP BONNET OR BUTTON SUNBONNET

Using Freezer paper or brown paper, draw lines about 2 .5" apart vertically.
Then draw the lines horizontally over the ones you just drew making a graph with squares about 2.5".

Now draw your pattern pieces on the paper. Your cap pattern will be about 21.5" long and 18.25 " wide.

Cut one large piece (cap) on fold of pattern piece #1
Cut two of material from pattern piece #2, (Brim)
Cut one of denim or pellon of pattern piece #2 (Brim)

On the cap pattern, decide if you are going to fold your material up and over to make a casing (IMAGE ONE)
or if you are just going to sew some binding to the cap to make a drawstring casing (IMAGE TWO) which is easier and faster.
Cut a small eyelet hole in the center of the casing to pull your drawstring through. (IMAGE THREE)

Cut a 1 inch width and 14 inch length of material for the drawstring. Fold in half lengthwise bringing the outside edges to the
middle and then press. Fold in half lengthwise once more and press. Top stitch.

Pull the drawstring through the casing starting at one end and pulling through to the end. Carefully continue to pull until the end of the
drawstring meets the edge of the casing and cap. Pin in place, Carefully pull your drawstring through the eyelet to pull the
remainder of the drawstring out and pin the opposite end to the edge of the cap and casing. (IMAGE FOUR)

Cut two brim pieces from regular material and then placed them right sides together. Cut one more of denim (you can also use pellon) for the interior. Because it's heavy weight material, it will give some firmness and structure to the bonnet brim and keep it from being floppy.

Put the denim on the top of the other two pieces, pin and then trim edges if needed before sewing. Sew around the outside edge of the sun bonnet brim about the width of the foot. Trim close to the edge, then turn inside out so that the right sides face outwards and the denim is inside. Press. Top stich the outside edge of the sunbonnet brim about the width of the foot. Working your way to the center of the bonnet, 'quilt' the brim making each successive row about 1 inch away from the previous one. Sew contrasting binding trim to the bonnet edge.

Press. Then zig sag or serge the raw edges and press once more.

SEWING THE BINDING ON THE BONNET BRIM AND THE SUNBONNET CAP

Take the binding and beginning sewing around the edge of the bonnet brim. It will be a bit bulky and a bit tricky. (for the future, I will probably just sew piping on the brim instead, using a contrasting color). Keep working as you sew to get the seam binding to center on the outside edge of the brim as much as possible. (IMAGE FIVE AND SIX)

Mark the placement of your buttons or snaps. Since there are no images of making button holes, I would suggest snaps. After the snaps are sewn on the brim and the cap, (IMAGE SEVEN) snap the two pieces together and then pull the drawstring to gather the sun bonnet neckline in. (IMAGE EIGHT)

Cut two pieces 16 inches long and 2 1/2 wide. Press. These will be your ties. Fold one side over 1/4 inch and press. Fold over another 1/4" and top stitch. Repeat for the opposite side and then finfish off the bottom edge of the tie. Press once more.

Pinch at the top of the tie to make a tiny 'gather' and then stitch to the underside of the bonnet about 1 inch from the back edge of the bonnet brim.

Click HERE for the pattern pieces. Measurements are on it as well as my notations. Keep in mind this was just a test pattern that I made so that I could see how the bonnet would sew once I put it together. No guarantees are implied using this photo as a pattern. As time allows, I will be making a new, complete downloadable pattern with instructions.