How to Make a Hood

Establish the Basics

Find the base garment. The base garment is the item of clothing you wish to attach the hood to. It can be a coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, or dress. Ideally, the garment should have a neckline that sits comfortably around the base of your neck. It can have a solid, buttoned, or zippered front.

Choose a coordinating fabric. The fabric for your hood should coordinate with the base garment in both pattern and fiber content. If you're making a hood for a garment you're in the process of sewing, use the same fabric for both the hood and the garment. If you're making a hood for a prepared garment you already have in your possession, choose new fabric that looks and feels similar. If you cannot match the pattern, try to match at least one color within the pattern. Similarly, if you cannot find the same type of fabric, choose one that is similar in weight. Note that woven fabrics will work if you're adding the hood to a garment made with woven fabric and if the neckline opens at the front or breaks into a deep v-neck. Otherwise, you may need to use knit fabric. Also note that you can use the same material for both the exterior portion of the hood and the lining. If you choose to mix and match, though, you should keep both fabrics similar in weight and stretch.

Create the Pattern Pieces

Measure the neckline of the base garment. Use a tape measure to carefully measure all the way around the neckline of the base garment. If the neckline opens in the front, start and stop the measurement at the edge of that opening. The bottom of both hood halves will need to be half the circumference of the neckline. If you do not have a base garment to work with, you can estimate the necessary circumference by measuring around the circumference of the wearer's neck. Add at least 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10 cm) to this measurement to prevent the hood from fitting too snug.

Sketch out the bottom edge. On a large sheet of blank newsprint or brown package paper, draw a straight line that matches half the circumference of your neckline. Since the back of a garment typically rises higher than the front, the left edge of this bottom line should be 1 inch (2.5 cm) lower than the right edge.

Draw the front opening edge. This opening should be at least as tall as the distance between the top of your head and the front of your collarbone. Usually, the front opening will be around 2 inches (5 cm) longer than the bottom edge for child-sized hoods and between 3 and 5 inches (7.6 and 12.5 cm) for adult-sized hoods. Draw this line so that it extends straight up from the left end of the bottom edge.

Estimate the back curve. The back curve will need a relatively flat top and side, but it should curve instead of meeting at a sharp angle. To make the process easier, draw one straight line extending to the right of the top front opening and a second extending up from the right end of the bottom edge. Continue until these two lines meet at an intersection. Starting within 3 inches (7.6 cm) of the point of intersection, lightly sketch a curve to the inside of the sharp corner. This new curve will be the final outline of the back curve. Note that the total length of this curved line should roughly match the distance between the wearer's shoulders and the top of the wearer's forehead.

Add a seam allowance. Draw a second outline around the first, placing it approximately 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) to the outside. You'll need to add this seam allowance to all sides of the hood pattern.

Transfer the design to the fabric. Cut out the pattern piece, then pin or trace it onto the fabric for your hood. You can save time by folding the fabric and pinning it together. If you plan to use the same material for the exterior and the lining, fold the fabric into four layers and pin the pattern piece to the top layer. If you plan to use different material for the exterior and the lining, fold both pieces of fabric in half to create two layers. Stack one on top of the other, and pin the pattern piece on top of the first layer.

Cut out the pieces. Carefully cut around the marked pattern. When finished, you should have four separate pieces of material. For single-sided fabric, make sure that there are two sets of two matching halves. In other words, you should be able to match up the edges of two separate pieces, and the "wrong" sides of both pieces should face one another as you do.

Find another hooded garment. Find a garment with a hood that fits well. Fold the hood of this garment in half. Ideally, the garment should be similar in size to the garment you plan to add the hood to. Line up the necklines. If the necklines of both garments do not match, you may need to alter the bottom edge of your pattern so that it matches the neckline of your base garment.

Trace around the side of the hood. With the left and right sides folded together, lay the hood flat over plain newsprint or brown package paper. Use a pencil to sketch around the front and back edges of the hood. Fold the hood down along its bottom seam, then trace along that edge, as well. If you need to add or remove length, begin by adjusting the bottom edge as needed. After adjusting the bottom, bring the front opening forward or backward as needed to meet the altered length.

Add a seam allowance. Sketch a second outline around the first outline, spacing the two 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) apart. This new space will be the seam allowance. Note that you'll need to cut along the seam allowance outline. Do not cut over the original outline.

Transfer the design to the fabric. Cut out the pattern piece, then lay it over your fabric. Pin it in place or sketch around the full outline with fabric pencil. Fold the fabric into four layers and pin the pattern piece on top. If you're using two separate materials for the exterior and the lining, fold each material into two layers and pin them together with the pattern piece on top. The "wrong" side of the fabric should face up on half the layers and down on the other half.

Cut out the pieces. Cut around all edges of the marked pattern. When finished, remove the pins and separate the pieces. You should have a total of four separate pieces.

Sew the Hood Together

Sew the exterior pieces together. Pin both exterior pieces together, "wrong" sides facing out and "right" sides facing in. Using a sewing machine, straight stitch along the curved top-to-back edge. Remember to use a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) seam allowance along the edge. Use an iron to press the seam allowance to one side when finished.

Sew the lining pieces together. Pin both lining pieces together, "wrong" sides out and "right" sides in. Straight stitch along the curved top-to-back edge. Use the same 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) seam allowance and press it to one side of the material when finished. Note that the lining and exterior portions of the hood should match in shape and size.

Stitch the hood to the lining. Open both pieces, then lay them together with the "right" sides in and the "wrong" sides out. Pin the pieces together and sew a straight stitch along the front portion of the perimeter. The outer perimeter will correspond to the front and bottom edges of the hood. Stitch the front edges together, using a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) seam allowance, but do not sew the bottom edge closed. If desired, you can also top stitch down the center line of the hood, but doing so is not necessary.

Turn the hood. Turn the hood right-side out through the bottom opening. If necessary, use an iron to press and flatten the joined front edge of the hood.

Attach the Hood to the Garment

Arrange the hood over the neckline. Pin the hood to the neckline of the base garment, matching up the center and endpoints precisely. The base garment should be right-side out and the hood should be lining-side out. Fold the hood over and around the top of the garment so that the exterior side of the hood faces the outside of the garment. Begin by matching the bottom center of the hood with the back center of of the garment's neckline. Fold the sides of the hood over, matching the corners to the center front of the neckline. Once the center and endpoints are pinned in place, continue pinning around the rest of the bottom edge to secure the hood evenly around the neckline.

Sew around the shared seam. Sew a straight stitch from one endpoint and around the back of the neckline, stopping only when you reach the other endpoint. Use the same 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) seam allowance used on your other hood edges. When finished, the bottom edge of the hood should be firmly attached to the neckline of the garment.

Zigzag stitch over the raw edge. Work back over the exposed raw edge of the hood with a zigzag stitch. Place the stitch as close to the raw edge as possible. The threads of this stitch should lock the edge in place and prevent it from fraying as you wear the hood.

Try it on. The project is now complete. Put on the garment and flip the hood over your head to test it out and admire your own handiwork.