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Make: Projects

HeadphoneHat

Make your silent hat sing with your headphones in the fabric over your ears!

  • By Chris Connors
  • Category: Sewing, Electronics
  • Time Required: 30 minutes
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • View Comments
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  • Winter is finally here in Massachusetts. While digging in the ‘Hats’ plastic tub today, I happened upon a flappy hat from last year. SantaMaker recently brought me some cheap headphones, and a few amplified speakers too (but those are for another project). Tonight turned out to be the time to merge the two into a HeadphoneHat. I’ve been thinking of the Rock Star Headphones project in Fashioning Technology as an inspiration for a way to take music on the go. There is a similar project in Diana Eng’s book Fashion Geek.

    First thing was to gather all the stuff: Headphones, a flappy hat, a nice sharp pair of shears, a seam ripper, some thread and a needle were all this project called for.

    You can view my photos of making the first HeadphoneHat on Flickr.

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    • Parts
    • /
    • Tools

    Parts

    • hat with ear flaps (1)
    • Headphones, 1/8' plug, mono or stereo (1)

    Tools

    • Scissors
    • Seam ripper
    • Sewing needle
    Print Project

    Steps

    Step #1:

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    • Gather the supplies:
    • A flappy hat
    • Headphones with speakers that are smaller than the flaps (not earbuds)
    • Scissors or shears
    • Seam ripper
    • Thread to match the hat
    • Needle

    Step #2:

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    • Open up the seam on the back side of the flap
    • I used a seam ripper, but you could carefully cut with scissors or a utility knife.
    • You don't want the bottom to be open, as the speakers will fall out.
    • You don't want the front edge of the flap to have the hole, as it will look ugly with the wire showing forward.
    • Usually, flappy hats have the flaps slightly to the rear of the hat.

    Step #3:

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    • Test to see if you can fit the speaker into the hole you just made in the seam.
    • If not, open the seam up a bit.
    • Pop the speaker in and position it.
    • Make sure the speaker is facing the inside of the hat.

    Step #4:

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    • Reinforce the seam at both ends of the opening you made.
    • Test to see if you can get the headphones out.
    • If your opening is too narrow, rip out one of your reinforcements and make the hole a little wider.
    • Leaving the hole a little small is good so the speakers don't fall out.

    Step #5:

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    • Try out your hat.
    • You may need to position the speakers so they sit over your ears consistently.
    • You could add some sticky backed hook and loop to the back of the speakers.
    • You may be able to use just the hook side and have it stick to the fabric of the flap.

    Step #6:

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    • Use your hat.
    • Show it to your friends.
    • Try it with your phone.
    • Ask your friends what features you might add.
    • Make another.
    • Give it away or sell it.
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    Chris Connors

    Making things is the best way to learn about our world.

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