This jaunty beret is easy to create and made entirely out of felt

Have you ever wanted to make your own clothes but had no idea where to start? This beret is a cute and easy project that allows you to offer a nod toward French fashion while still learning the process of making your own garments.

Making a beret is an exceptional project for when you want to create something new that requires little time and money. The whole thing is made entirely out of felt, a cheap and versatile fabric as well as one you can find at any craft store. Choose a color that calls to you, gather your materials, and soon you'll be flaunting your own homemade beret for all your friends!

- At least two squares of fabric in the same color and larger than 6-by-6 inches
- Cutting mat
- Red yarn
- Small ruler or measuring tape
- Scissors
- Pen
- Fabric cutter
- Pins
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread

Instructions
1. Lay one piece of felt out on your cutting mat. Unravel some red yarn, and measure out at least six inches. Cut more than six inches off the spool, and set aside.

2. Tie the red yard around the neck of a pen near its point, and leave six inches dangling from it. Remove the cap from the pen, and hold the yarn to a fixed point in the middle of the felt with the index finger of your non-dominant hand. With the pen draw a circle around the felt, using the point where your finger is holding the yarn down as the center of the circle. Then use a handheld fabric cutter to cut the circle out of your felt.

3. Cut an identical circle from your second piece of felt, using the same steps as above.

4. Place one of the two felt circles on the cutting mat, and fold it in half, then in half again. You will now have a folded quarter of a circle. Use your pen to make a mark at the point in the middle of the fold. Unfold the circle, and place it flat on the mat with the dot you drew facing up.

5. Tie another piece of yarn around the pen, this time with a length of three inches, and use the same technique to draw a circle in the middle of your circle. Use the handheld cutter to cut the circle out, and lay it aside.

5. Take the larger circle that now has an empty middle, and place it flat against the other, intact circle of the same size. Use pins to pin the circle with no middle to the other, full circle. Sew the circles to one another using a sewing machine and removing the pins as you go. Place your stitches about an inch and a half from the edge of the beret.

6. Turn the beret inside out, so the stitches are now facing in. This should make the hat puff up a bit at the seams in true beret fashion. Use the discarded felt to cut a small strip of fabric, and fold it over itself to make a small circle. With a needle and thread hand-stitch the sides together, then stitch the circle into the middle of the beret, pinching it slightly, so it sticks up at the top.

And there you have it! You can easily make this beret, even if you've never made clothing before, and you can display it proudly on a bookshelf or a hook by the door before you decide to wear it out.