Help me find an extremely tiny hat

September 12, 2016 1:06 PM

I want to dress up an insect, but am having trouble finding a suitable hat.

Several weeks ago a dragonfly found it's way into our conference room at work and didn't find it's way back out. Since then it has become an unofficial mascot for the engineering team (much to management dismay) and I have decided that a jaunty chapeau would be an excellent addition for our mascot. I googled for O an G scale clothing since that would be approximately the right size but I'm not finding anything suitable.

A straw poll indicated that a sombrero would be optimum, but a bowler or fedora would do also. Does anyone have a resource (besides 3d printing one) for extremely tiny hats?

posted by Dr. Twist to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (28 answers total)

I understand that this is not an answer to your question, by wouldn't a hat inhibit your mascot's ability to fly? And how would he or she keep the hat on his/her head without you attaching it in some way? My concern is that while this may be a cute idea, it could border on cruel to your little friend. Perhaps the nicer thing to do would be to help him find his way back outside?
posted by amro at 1:15 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Or wait - is he dead?
posted by amro at 1:16 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

(I'm fairly certain the dragonfly passed away on its adventure, through no fault of the company)
posted by brainmouse at 1:17 PM on September 12, 2016 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Perhaps a Lego hat would do?
posted by Hermione Granger at 1:20 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

(This would have been helpful information to have.)
posted by amro at 1:21 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

straw hats -too big?
top hats
posted by rmless at 1:23 PM on September 12, 2016

In the world of dollhouse miniatures, that size is called quarter scale, or 1/4" scale, which might help your searches.
posted by bethnull at 1:25 PM on September 12, 2016 [4 favorites]

Best answer: ooh lego sombrero
posted by rmless at 1:25 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Miniature hat ring (cut off the ring, obviously), cowboy hat, minifig sombrero
posted by brainmouse at 1:26 PM on September 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

A search on "bowler fascinator" turns up this, among other things.
posted by adamrice at 1:27 PM on September 12, 2016

How about making your own? A top hat would be very easy to do.

A quarter inch piece of a plastic drinking straw (a McDonald's straw might be sized best--they're slightly larger and your friend has a big noggin).
A tiny circle of paper the diameter of the drinking straw.
A slightly less tiny circle of paper to serve as the hat brim.
Color all of it with sharpie.
Assemble it with a bit of glue.

Make it black for an Abe Lincoln look, make it purple for a Mad Hatter look, green if you're feeling leprechauny.
posted by phunniemee at 1:28 PM on September 12, 2016 [6 favorites]

If you found an action figure wearing a suitable hat, you can easily cut it off with a Dremel tool. (I have carved up and re-glued many action figures)
posted by aimedwander at 1:29 PM on September 12, 2016

I've looked at all of these links and, considering that these should be appropriately sized TO A BUG, some of you are starting to concern me. 😨
posted by phunniemee at 1:31 PM on September 12, 2016 [7 favorites]

Cut the findings off of sombrero jewelry, paint if desired. Earrings or bracelet charms would get you close to the right size.
posted by yeahlikethat at 1:34 PM on September 12, 2016

Response by poster: Or wait - is he dead?

it has very definitely shuffled off it's mortal coil
posted by Dr. Twist at 1:36 PM on September 12, 2016 [4 favorites]

The chapeau worn by the Kidrobot Family Guy monkey looks to be almost the perfect size.

Mine's at home, but I believe that the brim circumference is just about 15 or 17mm.
posted by porpoise at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2016

I think the hat from a thrift store monopoly set would fit just right. Also you could repurpose a thimble into a fez with a scrap of red felt and glue.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Perhaps a Lego hat would do?

despite the profusion of lego's around my house, I had not actually thought of this.
posted by Dr. Twist at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2016

Please do a photoshoot so we can help judge Dragonflies' Top Model
posted by Hermione Granger at 1:40 PM on September 12, 2016 [22 favorites]

Also do know that if you dry it properly (i.e. do nothing but avoid getting it wet in the next several weeks), this little jaunty corpse could last decades. I think it was a female btw, based on the lack of obvious claspers. It's hard to be sure from one photo, but it looks like a blue dasher.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:45 PM on September 12, 2016 [6 favorites]

Oh, it's lovely. Maybe have it professionally mounted so it can endure and continue being beautiful. It could go in a mahogany shadow box. The hat idea is cute, but you could do better... or at least differently.
posted by amtho at 1:58 PM on September 12, 2016

This person from Bulgaria has an assortment of tiny felt hats including birthday hat, chef hat, jester hat, elf hat.

Oh here you go. Striped sleep hat. omg bonnet. pom pom hat!

Owl hat!
Ewok hat.
posted by Glinn at 6:09 PM on September 12, 2016 [2 favorites]

Monopoly top hat?
posted by scyllary at 6:47 PM on September 12, 2016

If you choose a top hat, you must also find a tiny tuxedo.
posted by AFABulous at 7:41 AM on September 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: the lego hat idea is perfect. After amazon delivers my minifigs I shall post photos here
posted by Dr. Twist at 9:34 AM on September 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

If your mascot is a gentlelady of the old school she may also enjoy a smart summer trilby.
posted by freya_lamb at 1:20 PM on September 13, 2016 [1 favorite]

Have you seen Lisa Wood's Insect Dioramas?
posted by peagood at 7:23 PM on September 17, 2016

Response by poster: update:

some humorless individual threw out our new mascot before i could get pictures with it's new hat

:(
posted by Dr. Twist at 11:07 AM on October 19, 2016