So. McKeyla McAlister’s hipster hat from the lava light doll: it looks pretty good* in the promo photos, but in real life it was rather ghastly. Aside from the way it was fastened to her head using those tags that doll manufacturers are so fond of, what really let it down was the flimsy, shiny vacuum-formed plastic it was made from.
Decopatch to the rescue! Decopatch is like a more sturdy kind of tissue paper and comes in all sorts of gorgeous colours/designs/patterns. It’s VERY easy to use, and rather addictive – you might find yourself searching for more items to customise once you've finished! Below are instructions on how to Decopatch (from www.decopatchme.co.uk :
‘Cut or rip the paper into small bits about the size of a postage stamp.
Put a small amount of Decopatch glue on the part of the object you wish to start Decopatching then with the brush pick up the paper you have just torn and put it on the part you have just put the glue on. Put another small amount of glue over the top of the paper as this helps seal the paper.
Repeat until the whole of the object is covered.’
Decopatch to the rescue! Decopatch is like a more sturdy kind of tissue paper and comes in all sorts of gorgeous colours/designs/patterns. It’s VERY easy to use, and rather addictive – you might find yourself searching for more items to customise once you've finished! Below are instructions on how to Decopatch (from www.decopatchme.co.uk :
‘Cut or rip the paper into small bits about the size of a postage stamp.
Put a small amount of Decopatch glue on the part of the object you wish to start Decopatching then with the brush pick up the paper you have just torn and put it on the part you have just put the glue on. Put another small amount of glue over the top of the paper as this helps seal the paper.
Repeat until the whole of the object is covered.’
 McKeyla McAlister's hat, and the Decopatching process. |  The Decopatched and varnished hat, complete with ribbon. |  McKeyla modelling her revamped hat! |
After the second coat of varnish had dried I used an awl to make larger holes where the tags had originally gone through on either side of the hat. Then I made another hole about 0.5 cm from the first hole on each side (just behind, and a little lower) so I could poke elastic through to the outside then back inside the hat - so I could knot the elastic on the inside of the hat (and not have them sticking-out on the outside) - see photo and dodgy diagrams below! To stop the ends of the elastic fraying I sealed them with clear nail polish (forgot to take a photo of that part).
The finishing touch was to glue a polka dot purple ribbon around the hat and tie it in a knot at the back (I also tied a knot at the front to make it sit better). This completes the look, and hides where the elastic shows at the sides. The elastic goes at the back of McKeyla’s head and tucks under her hair; McKeyla's Hipster hat makeover is complete!
*If I was someone who used the word ‘cute’ I’d say it was cute!
The finishing touch was to glue a polka dot purple ribbon around the hat and tie it in a knot at the back (I also tied a knot at the front to make it sit better). This completes the look, and hides where the elastic shows at the sides. The elastic goes at the back of McKeyla’s head and tucks under her hair; McKeyla's Hipster hat makeover is complete!
*If I was someone who used the word ‘cute’ I’d say it was cute!
 An inside view of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's Decopatched hat |  Overhead diagram of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's Hat |  Side diagram of the holes and elastic of McKeyla's hat |
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