Hat WIP hatband

This is my latest project: a steampunk hat that will go with a costume I'll be wearing to a convention in Oregon in September. I bought the hat at a little local hat shop, and the color was okay, but not great. Also, the band was boring, so that had to go. It was only glued on, so it came off easily. I then used brown and black multi-purpose acrylic paints to give the hat a darker, more aged look. (Btw, according to the tag, it's made from a combination of polyester and paper!) For a hat band, I cut up an old belt that I had bought at a thrift store, weaving in some brown satin-look ribbon and then stitching the ends together with a heavy cord. That part will be well hidden underneath flowers. With the addition of a bit of brass chain (attached with large, square jump rings), it's already looking more like steampunk couture.