DIY Cleaning and Reshaping Vintage Hats

Making that long list of things that need to be done before I perform....one of those is steaming and reshaping my hats.  How do they get so catty-wompus?  I try so hard to handle them carefully.  Oh, well, it just takes a clean countertop (the biggest challenge for me) and a few minutes with my teapot.

The white tubes are index cards rolled up to fit inside the ribbon bow.  I leave the paper rolls in the hat even for storage.  The brush in my hand is what I use to clean my hats.  It's just a soft bristle little brush like you might use for hand washing or potato washing at the sink.  When the hat is steamy, the dry brush is perfect for cleaning off dust and grime.

This hat is wonderful but the shape is all wonky.  See the puckering across the front brim?  There is a matching pucker in the center back.  I've tried to wear this one a few times because it's so unique.  Today, I decided it was never going to fix itself.  I steamed it quite a few minutes hoping that it might soften up and pull itself back into the original shape?  I am not sure what that shape should be.  Maybe it knows.  We'll see what happens.  

 Ah, it did!  It's adorable!

These are my make-do diy forms.  Stuff that's readily available in my cabinets.  Something approximately the same shape and size as my head plus something to keep the hat up so the brim can hang naturally while everything dries and resets itself.

Let them set all day or even overnight.  They need time to rest and dry out without being handled.  Remember, you steamed them to make them pliable.  So, don't rush in and handle them while they're still in the pliable state.  Wait.  

Reminding myself not to CRAM both hats into the same hat box.  If you value your hat - it gets it's own hat box that is big enough so the hat doesn't touch the box in any direction.  I use a wad of newspaper inside a plastic bag as my filler (head shape) before I place my best hats in their boxes.   As you can see with the black hat, it would be best if the hat didn't rest on the brim.  Maybe I'll try storing this one upside down this time.   Wonder how the lady who first bought it stored it?

I'll try transporting both hat boxes with me to the event and using them!  One extra trip back and forth to the car will probably make a huge difference in keeping these antique hats in perfect shape for performances. Now to locate a few plume feathers......don't ya think?