What kind of embroidery designs are the best to use on hats?

Most embroidery designs will stitch out beautifully on hats, caps and visors, but there are a few limitations to keep in mind.

The most important factor is size. Depending on the hat, you may have one inch to four inches of embroidery area. Embroidery can be stitched on the front, sides, top and back of hat. If you are stitching on the front of a hat, bend the area to be stitched until it lays flat. Then you can measure the flat area and that is your maximum size limit. Repeat this procedure for other areas of the hat to determine the design size.

Mini designs are perfect for hat embroidery. Bigger embroidery designs can be scaled down to fit on a hat. Be careful when resizing; some designs will become too dense and detailed. In your computer software, remove objects from larger designs to create new designs.

Because you are working with an object that will not lay flat in the hoop, it is harder to ensure that the hat is in the hoop straight. If your hat is crooked, your finished embroidery may look off set or rotated. Random designs that don’t have to be stitched straight to look correct are the easiest to stitch. Designs such as footprints, butterflies, shapes, leaves, flowers and snowflakes can be easily placed any direction on a hat. Stay away from square designs; it is difficult to hoop them straight and therefore the design is crooked on the hat.

Print a template for your design(s). If you are working with multiple designs, placing the printed templates on the hat will help you to know where to put it. It also will give you the cross lines to hoop your hat correctly.

Have fun stitching creative headwear!