DIY - How to sew a winter beret

How do you sew a pretty winter beret to wear when you're out and there’s fresh air? Follow the guide, it's easy to sew and it's elegant!

What fabrics should I use to sew a beret ?

The choice is yours! For winter, I recommend fabrics that are warm and pleasant to the touch. You need a fabric with a bit of thickness and hold to get a nice volume. A boiled wool or wool fabric that you like and that will match your gloves, mittens or coat, for example. Fleece is also ideal. I used a piece of wool fabric with herringbone pattern ;-)

How do I sew my beret?

I opted for the Basque beret style, which is the most traditional and timeless. Quite simple to sew, it's a matter of assembling 2 discs of fabric, then applying cuffing fabric (or elastic ribbon) to finish it. I'll show you how: :

Material needed

• Piece of fabric  80X40CM
• cuffing fabric  of -/+- 40CM long
• Mètre ruban
• Erasable pen or marker
• Sewing thread
• Scissors
• Clips or pins

Step 1: trace the discs

We're going to make 2 discs. Here's how to calculate them according to your head:

Small diameter

The measurement of your head circumference in CM divided by 3.14 = the diameter of your first small circle.

-> Mine for example is 59CM (head) : 3.14 = 18.78CM

Large diameter

For the large circle, simply add a 7.5CM radius to the previous diameter.

-> Mine is 18.78 + 15 = 33.78CM

You'll need one solid and one hollow disc. Start by tracing and cutting out two circles of the larger diameter. Leave one disc aside (your solid disc).

And on the other (hollow disc) you'll remove the center corresponding to the measurement of the small diameter.

Step 2: Assemble beret’s body 

Overlap the discs right sides together and sew around the edge. Clip the rounded edges to facilitate fitting when turned inside out.

Step 3: finishing with cuffing fabric 

The best thing is to have a 5CM high cuffing fabric. The one I've chosen is 10CM so I fold it in 2 to make it 5CM high.

For the length, the measurement must correspond to the small diameter (calculated in step 1) which you multiply by 2.

-> for me it’s 18.80 x 2 = 37.6CM cuffing fabric

Stitch the ends of the cuffing fabric together to create a tube.

Pin (or pinch) the cuffing fabric to the beret in 4 like this:

Let's move on to the sewing. I pull on 2 clips to position the wool fabric and the cuffing fabric  on the same level, then sew around the edge a little by little.

Finish the edges if you have an overlock machine. You can also overcast on a simple sewing machine using the zig-zag stitch.

Congratulations, your hand-sewn beret is ready to put on. Let's go for a walk!

Happy sewing,

L.