Soaking the hat increases the chances that the colors run. Use a little bit of water at a time and make sure the fabric isn’t dripping wet. For a hat with a bill, such as a fitted baseball cap, leave the front panels above the bill dry. This helps the cap keep its shape.
Concentrate the heat on the main portion of the hat rather than the brim. Most hats have an elastic band or sweatband in the brim, and heating it causes it to lose shape over time.
You may need to repeat the treatment 3 or 4 times before the hat reaches the size you need.
Concentrate the water on the elastic band, since that is the part that determines the hat’s fit. Avoid wrinkling the exterior portion of the cap.
Be careful when putting a hat in the oven. Using a higher heat setting can cause the hat to melt. Also, if you don’t use paper towels, the bottom part of the hat will scorch and turn an unpleasant brown color.
Machine drying cycles are rough on clothing, so expect the hat to change shape a little. For instance, the back end of a fitted cap may get flattened a little so it no longer has a perfectly rounded shape.
Wearing the hat improves the fit even if you choose not to risk the oven or dryer. To speed up this process, try wearing the hat during a hot shower, for instance. Keep it on until it dries.
Always spray above the brim. Dampening the brim may cause the elastic band inside of it to lose its shape. Avoid spraying the inside part of the hat.
If you don’t have a kettle, find an alternative way to produce steam. Try heating a pot of water or taking the hat into a steamy bathroom. Alternatively, heat up an iron and hold it close to the hat. A lot of professional hat makers and sellers have specialty steam machines that help them shape hats. Look online for a hat steamer to purchase one of these machines. It is useful if you buy a lot of hats that need shaping.
The heat softens the fibers, making them malleable. Shape the hat while it is still warm and slightly moist.
If the hat is close to the perfect size, keep trying. You may need to do this a few times before the hat reaches the size you need.
Keep the brim dry to prevent it from curling and wrinkling.
To prevent the hat from shrinking too much, check on it often. Avoid leaving it in the car for hours at a time. When you’re done with it, take it out and let it cool in open air. If using a car isn’t an option, find other heat sources, such as a heating vent or furnace in your home. Keep the hat nearby so it gets hot.
For a more accurate measurement, have someone else use a tape measure while you wear the hat.
Many places that sell hats have sizers available, including online shops. Sizers are inexpensive and disposable, so they’re easy to find and valuable for shrinking a hat without damaging it. When using wider pieces of filler pads or tape, make them more manageable by cutting them in half. Reduce each strip to a length of about 6 in (15 cm)
Adhere the sizer directly to the hat if yours doesn’t have an accessible liner or sweatband.
Sticking the adhesive backing to the inner lining leads to unattractive wrinkles. Always attach sizers to the hat instead of the lining. Sizers are disposable, so peel them off when you no longer need them.
