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Sew a beanie in 15 minutes: step-by-step photo tutorial and free pattern

31.01.2021 by Sabine Schmidt

Beanie nähen in 15 Minuten: Bilderanleitung und gratis Schnittmuster

Sew a beanie: This quick hat is sewn in no time. You can download the free pattern with instructions directly here on the blog.

The most important things at a glance

  • You can sew the beanie from jersey fabrics and ribbing
  • However, many other elastic fabrics such as knit fabrics or other stretchy fabric types also work well
  • Depending on the stretchiness of the fabric, you may need to adjust the size slightly
  • You can download the beanie pattern for jersey or ribbing for free here in the post
  • You can sew the beanie using either a sewing machine or an overlocker
  • Sewing time: approx. 15 min.

Fastest to sew, most loved to wear!

A beanie like this is truly a versatile talent. It's super quick to cut, sewn in a flash, and ready for immediate use. What more could you want? Well, okay, maybe sewing a matching loop scarf as well! You can, of course, also use our freebie KNUDE to sew a baby hat (or a knotted hat), or use our QUIST pattern to sew a reversible beanie.

My free pattern is designed for a beanie without a brim (we call it a "SaBeanie"!). But it is, of course, also fantastic as a winter beanie because it is a double beanie. This means one half of the beanie is folded inward and acts as an inner lining. Mmm, cozy!

Reading tip: Sewing jersey with a sewing machine

Important: This beanie is sewn without a cuff. That means: It doesn't press against your ears and has no annoying seams.

All seams in this reversible beanie are on the inside, which makes it particularly comfortable to wear.

The size range covers head circumferences from 44 to 58 cm. That means everything from beanies for babies and children to beanies for adults is included. Simply download the free pattern and get started.

If you feel like it, you can also sew an XXL triangular scarf - in 10 minutes from just 1 meter of fabric!

How long does it take to sew a beanie?

Between us: It goes in a flash! Especially if you fold the fabric right sides together before cutting. Then you just need to pin the edges together and start sewing! Even beginners can sew this beanie in less than 30 minutes.

Our YDA balloon hat is by the way just as quickly conjured up.

https://sewsimple.de/en/produkt/muetze-yda-kopfumfang-36-65-cm/

More for sewing beginners

How do I sew a simple beanie?

It is truly incredibly easy! You can sew the beanie with either a sewing machine or an overlocker. First, the outer edges and the long edge are closed.

Then you sew the top and bottom curves together and turn the hat through the turning hole. As soon as that is closed (you can do this with the machine, but it looks nicer with a ladder stitch by hand!), the inner hat can be pushed into the outer hat.

And with that, you have sewn the perfect reversible hat in practically no time. Isn't that cool?

Sewing a beanie

Which fabrics are suitable for the beanie?

Jersey fabrics, ribbing, elastic knit fabrics, and other stretchy materials that are not too thick are ideal. If you want to know more about working with elastic fabrics, it's worth taking a look at the post Sewing stretchy fabrics. In the instructions, I show you how to sew the beanie using ribbing. It works exactly the same with jersey or other fabrics, though.

My recommendations:

  • Jersey* – particularly soft and pleasant on the skin
  • Interlock* - curls less at the edges than jersey, perfect for beginners
  • Fine knit - sometimes looks a bit more "grown-up" than jersey
  • Ribbing* - very stretchy, so the beanie fits for a long time and provides good warmth

Important: Use high-quality fabrics for the hat. Washing, stretching, and wearing puts a lot of stress on the fabric. That's why I've included links to the fabrics from MTStofferie here. They are high-quality, affordable, and really recommended.

Also feel free to read my post Which fabric for what?

How can I sew a beanie with a brim?

That's really easy: When tracing the pattern, you can simply leave a gap between the two straight lines at the bottom end that is twice the width of the desired brim. For example, 10 - 12 centimeters. The basic pattern is then simply made a bit longer.

The sewing technique remains exactly the same.

Why is it fun to sew a hat?

Mainly because it's so super quick. And because the result speaks for itself. With my free pattern, you can sew beautiful hats for the whole family in no time at all!

It's great to hold such beautiful sewing results in your hands in a flash, isn't it?

Sewing a beanie from jersey

Beanies made from jersey are wonderfully soft and comfortable to wear. They are a bit thinner than their siblings made from thicker ribbing.

Beanies made of jersey are especially popular for babies and toddlers because they absorb moisture well and feel pleasant on the skin. But adults also appreciate the wearing comfort of jersey fabrics.

Tip: You can order jersey fabrics here.*

Like the ribbing, I like to order my jerseys from MTStofferie. It's not just fast; the fabrics are always high quality. That is important to me because as a fabric addict, you spend a lot of money on materials. I want to be sure that the quality is right, too. ;)

Sewing a beanie from ribbing

Beanies made from ribbing are very stretchy and a little more rustic than beanie hats made from jersey fabric.

There are also huge differences in ribbing when it comes to stretchiness and softness. It definitely makes sense to choose the fabric for your first beanies directly in the fabric store so you can check whether the fabric is really soft and elastic.

Smooth ribbing is usually more elastic and softer than ribbed knit. Unfortunately, there are many low-quality fabrics in circulation, which sometimes makes it difficult to avoid making a bad buy. For this reason, I prefer to buy from the fabric dealer I trust. :)

Tip: You can order ribbing in various versions here.*

How much fabric do I need for the beanie?

You can always calculate with double the height of the pattern. So: Simply print out the pattern, measure from the baseline to the top, and multiply by 2. :)

What accessories do I need to sew a beanie?

Are you not always sure which accessories are worth it or good? Then definitely take a look at these detailed test reports (with some really surprising results):

Sewing a beanie

Free beanie sewing pattern

Here you can download the free pattern for the beanie in two versions:


Which size you need also depends a little on how stretchy the material you want to sew the beanie from is. This can vary a lot, which is why I advise you to make a test piece out of inexpensive fabric. Then you can be sure that your new hat really fits perfectly.

DOWNLOAD SaBeanie pattern made from jersey and ribbing (free)

  • A seam allowance of 0.7 cm is already included in the pattern.
  • Print the pattern on DIN A4 and tape it together at the adhesive edges.

How does the download work?

  1. Subscribe to the SewSimple newsletter
  2. Click the newsletter subscription in the confirmation email: Yes, I want...
  3. After receiving the SewSimple welcome email, you are officially a sewing mail subscriber
  4. Create a customer account with the same email address
  5. Log in
  6. Click on download or go to the pattern via the freebook area of your customer account.

It may also help to clear your cookies and cache, use a different browser, or use a different device. It often works on a PC or laptop if it doesn't work on your mobile phone.

It is also always a good idea to check if your browser is up to date or if your browser settings prevent a download. :)

Read more in our FAQs!

Frequently asked questions

What should I pay attention to when sewing a beanie?

A beanie is really quite easy to sew. However, you should make sure that the seams at the ends are sewn together with the seam allowances folded apart. This gives the top of the hat a nice, clean finish.

What fabrics can I use to sew a beanie?

Jersey or rib knit fabrics are ideal. The free pattern in this tutorial is designed for these types of fabrics. You can also sew the hat using a stretchy sweat fabric, but you should sew a test version beforehand to see which size is perfect for you.

Where can I download the beanie pattern for free?

You can get the free pattern with free instructions directly here in this blog post as a downloadable PDF.

Links marked with * are affiliate links: If you make a purchase through them, we receive a small commission. The price remains the same for you.

Step-by-step instructions

beanie-naehen

Sew a beanie

Start by washing the fabric. Then you can be sure that it won't shrink in the first wash.

Reading tip: wash fabric before sewing

Fold the fabric right sides together and place the pattern with its side edge on the fold.

Transfer the outline of the pattern to the fabric.

  1. Step

    This is what it should look like now.

  2. Step

    Place the bottom straight edge of the pattern on the marking. Align the side with the fold edge again.

    Trace the pattern once more, mirrored, on the other side.

    This is what it should look like now:

  3. Step

    Cut out the pattern piece along the markings.

  4. Step

    This is how it should look now:

  5. Step

    Unfolded, the pattern piece now looks like this:

  6. Step

    Fold the straight edges right sides together again, flush on top of each other.

  7. Step

    Pin the pattern piece together as shown in the picture. Don't pin the inner edges of the points together yet. Leave a turning gap in one of the straight edges.

  8. Step

    Now you can already sew the beanie together.

    Close the pinned sides with a straight stitch. You can also use a narrow zigzag or your overlock.

  9. Step

  10. Step

    This is how it should look now:

  11. Step

    Stop at the turning gap and backstitch to secure the seam.

  12. Step

    Continue the seam after the turning gap.

  13. Step

    This is what it should look like now. The area between the points is still open.

  14. Step

    Now unfold the area between the points of the hat.

  15. Step

    Press the seam allowances open and line the seams up exactly on top of each other.

    Pin the top and bottom edges together flush with pins.

    This is what it should look like now:

  16. Step

    Sew along the top and bottom edges with your sewing machine or overlock.

  17. Step

    This is how it should look now:

  18. Step

    The turning gap is still open. Now turn the beanie right side out through it.

  19. Step

  20. Step

    Fold the seam allowances of the turning gap to the inside.

  21. Step

    Close the turning gap with a ladder stitch. By the way, it's also called a mattress stitch or magic stitch. Why? Because it's almost invisible.

    It's called a ladder stitch because the thread, which runs alternately through the right and left folded edge of the turning gap, forms a ladder pattern between the fabric edges. Here's the tutorial: Sewing a ladder stitch

  22. Step

    Insert the needle into the folded edge of the turning gap, run it approx. 3 - 4 mm through the fold and bring it out at the edge again. Repeat this on the other side at the same height.

  23. Step

    Once you've sewn back and forth a few times, it should look like this:

  24. Step

    If you now pull the thread carefully, the turning gap closes "as if by magic".

  25. Step

    Once the turning gap is completely closed, secure the thread, pull it inside and bring it out again on the right side of the fabric. You can then cut it off there. This way no annoying thread ends are left.

    Now you can push the half of the hat with the turning gap into the other half as a lining.

  26. Step

    If you like, you can now sew on a faux fur pompom. Maybe you can even find some with a snap? That's incredibly practical, because you can simply remove the pompom before washing. But there are also washable pompoms.

  27. Step

  28. Step

  29. Step

  30. Step

  31. Step

    A little tip on the side: sometimes pompoms get squashed in transit. They'll become full and fluffy again if you blow through them from all sides with a hairdryer.

  32. Step

  33. Step

    And now make more! Maybe you'd like to go straight on and sew a snood: of course you'll find the matching tutorial for neck warmers, patchwork snoods and infinity scarves here at SewSimple. Or would you rather sew an XXL triangle scarf? If you feel like it, leave me a comment and tell me how you liked this tutorial.

    By the way: SewSimple now has a WhatsApp channel! For your daily dose of sewing happiness & behind-the-scenes stories. Just click here and join in. I'm already looking forward to sharing my sewing stories with you. ❤️

    Happy simple sewing, your Sabine

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About the author

Sabine

I come from Siegen-Wittgenstein, where I spent my childhood breaking in cows, jumping off haystacks and scraping a D- in needlework class.

Today, being creative feels like indescribable happiness to me – and it grows even more when I can share it with others. Since 2016 I have been celebrating my passion for sewing on this blog, and I love that sewing connects so many people.