Paper is really a versatile and recyclable building material. Here I use it in a project that has wonderful aesthetic possibilities as well as the significant engineering design challenge of making a crazy shape stand up on your head!
The inspiration for this project comes from the outlandish hats of the Kentucky Derby. If you are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, here are a few examples:
Sometime simple, usually complex, Derby hats come in many shapes and sizes. Though I am not well-versed in British culture, I hear it is common and expected to wear an exciting hat to weddings in the UK, so I imagine examples could be found there too. As you can see, the hats often have a theme and are much more effective if designed with the details of the theme well-considered. Additionally, the over-the-top nature of them requires some amount of engineering for the practical considerations of staying on one's head and maintaining the necessary height.
It is much more important to me to ignite your creative explorations than to show you how to create a specific design, which is why my hat above is mostly a collection of examples of paper shaping techniques. I am going to focus on those in this post, and I know that you will be able to employ them to great effect in your own designs. Or, you'll think of different ones and surprise me with your ingenuity!
The arc:
The cone:
The fringe:
The cylinder:
Curling:
(scraping the paper across any defined edge will cause it to curl, so if using scissors feels too dangerous, try using a table edge)
Twisting:
Accordion fold:
Pull through loop:
In order to make your own Derby hat, start with a band of paper that fits around your head, and start gluing or taping paper shapes! Enjoy!