How to Reshape a Straw Hat
Short answer: To reshape a straw hat, use steam from a tea kettle to soften the straw, working over the damaged area on both the top and bottom when needed. Once the straw becomes malleable, mold it back into shape, then set the hat down and let it dry naturally. A wire inside the brim can help shape a Western straw hat into a classic taco roll.
Want the full walkthrough? See our hat care hub.
In this video, we’re going to show you how to bring your hat back to its original, new condition. The next material I’m going to show you how to revamp is straw. So I’ve intentionally chosen some really beaten up straw hats here. This particular one on top is a Western Shapeable straw hat. Inside the brim, there’s a wire, making it easier for you to learn how to shape as trawcow boy hat back to the classic taco roll if you want to reshape a straw hat with a western flair.
At the same time, you’ve got this bit of a div here. That’s the actual straw that’s been sat on or it’s been in a bad position for quite a while. So to fix that, go straight over to your tea kettle and just soften that straw up on the bottom and also on the top. Then you can easily mold it back into shape. It becomes really malleable, which is essential when you're figuring out how to reshape a straw hat, and then you can just sit it down and let it dry naturally.
The next hat is a Toyo hat. This particular shape is a bowler, and you can see that the bowler is supposed to have a nice, round crown flipped up. This one is all wobbly and wonky. So you take your hat and maybe you’ve been on an airplane and it was stuffed in the overhead locker. Maybe it was in your suitcase and got crushed. This is the way when you get to your hotel, or wherever you are, take a tea kettle and you can steam it up real nice, demonstrating that you can steam a straw hat to help it regain its intended shape.
Look at that, it just comes back to shape, going all the way around the edges here. Now if I do that for another few minutes, that’s going to be absolutely perfect. You can see in thirty seconds, the job’s almost done, a testament to how easily you can reshape a straw cowboy hat with a bit of steam.
Frequently asked questions
How do you reshape a crushed straw hat?
Steam the straw with a tea kettle until it becomes soft and malleable. Mold it back into shape, then set the hat down and let it dry naturally.
Can steam fix a dent in a straw hat?
Yes. Soften the damaged straw with steam from a tea kettle on the top and bottom, then mold it back into shape.
How do you reshape a straw cowboy hat with a Western style?
A Western shapeable straw hat has wire inside the brim, which makes it easier to shape back into a classic taco roll.
How do you reshape a Toyo straw bowler hat?
Steam the Toyo hat with a tea kettle and work all the way around the edges. The crown can regain its intended round shape after steaming.
Hi. Thanks for the informative video! I wonder what you’d suggest to regarding reshaping a straw hat without the wired brim? The maker is Brand/Summer Club and it is straw with some sort of finish so it is not easily reshapeable but at the same time flexible.
Thanks!
~J
Fun! Thanks for that lesson. Question for you: do you have suggestions for cleaning a straw hat to remove sweat stains? Thanks.
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