Cut a piece of hat straw 2 yds. in length. 

Crown
Begin with the centre crown by running a thin line of
glue down the middle of one end of the straw. Start rolling into a tight roll. Continue applying glue and rolling the straw until the crown is 3/4" in diameter

To form the side of the crown, wrap around three rows gluing on the bottom edge of each row, overlapping the straw. Cut the straw when the sides of the crown are 3/8" to 1/2" deep.

Brim
Use a piece of styrofoam covered with plastic ( I like instulation styrofoam) as a base to pin your hat while forming the brim. Pin the crown to the centre of the foam. Fray the end of the unused straw until you find the "draw" thread. Pull the thread gathering the straw until you have curves forming. 

Pull out about 6" of this thread. Run a thin line of glue around the base of the crown. Start wrapping the gathered straw and press against the glue on the crown and pin in place.

Glue more rows of straw to the brim overlapping the edge, pinning and glueing along the edge until the hat measures twon inches in diameter or whatever size you prefer. Cut the straw. Unpin the hat from the plastic before the glue is completely dry in order to shape it as you desire.
This hat may be as plain or as fancy as you wish. Try decorating it with fimo fruit, silk ribbon or roses, straw flowers, laces or feathers.
© Jean Day 1990
 
 

For the addition of flowers on this hat I glued a bit of landscape green foam, tiny paper circles and small silk flowers. I then coated the edges of flowers with yellow and turquoise paint and and then painted flocking with a brush on top of the actual paint.

  The yellow straw hat was finished with white flowers then painted and flocked in yellows and orange.  Dark green and medium green sponge was added for the greenery. 

For the other three hats I used miniature pink silk flowers with two colours of green sponge on the right and back hat and blue punched circles on the one on the left.  Each flower on the hat had the edges painted with various colours of paint and flocking.