Folding the Hat
Start with a square sheet of paper. If you have a small head, you can fold a standard piece of 8.5" x 11" paper into an 8.5" square. If you have a large head, you might need to find a larger sheet. A two-page newspaper spread is usually perfect for this. If you want a hat that is slightly wider than it is tall (or taller than it is wide,) then begin with a rectangular sheet of paper. The sizing, however, is still important! Making a shallower, wider captain's hat is a great way to make an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper into a hat for a slightly larger head. Consider the color of hat that you want. Try using black paper for a pirate captain's hat. Use colorful construction paper for a more cheerful captain's hat! Remember that you can always color or paint the paper.
Crease the paper in half. Make sure that the crease is sharp and the fold is even. If the paper is square, it doesn't matter which way you fold it. If the paper is rectangular: fold lengthwise or "hot-dog style" for a shallower, wider hat, and "hamburger style" for a taller but narrower hat.
Fold in the top two corners until they meet. Be sure to bend from the "closed", creased half of the paper, not the open end. The folded-down corners should cover the entire surface of the paper, except for a small rectangular space at the bottom. As you fold the corners, try to crease the "top" of the hat into a point. The almost-finished hat should look like a pentagon: a small rectangular "bottom" with a large, triangular point at the "top". The future "front" of the hat should be a smooth paper pentagon. On the "back" of the hat, you should be able to see a small gap between the sides of the two folded-down corner triangles – as though the triangles are popping out from the rest of the paper. The pointed, closed end will become the top of the hat. The flat, open end is the space into which your head should fit.
Fold up the "bottom" flaps of the hat. There should be some loose paper on the open (not pointed) end of the hat. Crease the "back" flap over the folded-down corners – this should seal the loose triangles in place. Next, fold up an equivalent portion of the flat front-bottom of the hat. The flaps should match up. Your hat is ready to wear! The finished hat should look a bit like a boat: the pointed top of the hat is the "sail", and the flaps at the open bottom are the body of the ship.
Decorating the Hat
Make a pirate captain's hat. First, your hat will need to be black or brown. You can use black or brown paper from the start, or you can color in the paper after the fact. Add a "skull and crossbones" to the smooth front of the hat to show your friends that you're a scurvy sea dog. Consider ripping chunks out of the hat so that it looks worn and weather-beaten – a few tasteful burn marks would not be out of place here, either. Yarrr! If you're feeling fancy, try sticking a feather into the hat. Poke the sharp tip of the feather through the paper just above the flaps, and make sure that it sticks there. The more colorful and tropical-looking the feather, the better!
Decorate a naval captain's hat. A naval captain needs a crisp, clean white hat. Avoid lined or colored paper. Don't decorate with anything – except for, perhaps, a thin golden lining, or an ornate-looking naval insignia. If you'd like to be more direct, simply write "U.S. Navy" or "Naval Officer".
Come up with your own theme. Get creative! Invent a country and proudly fly its flag. Draw your own insignia on the front of the hat. Decorate with crazy colors, sparkles, beads, feathers – anything that feels right!
Finished.
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