Turning Your Head Into a Cabbage

Rough idea of how I'd write up this project (using a cabbage hat example instead):

What you need:

• A wooden or foam head or hat form in a size larger than the performer's head.  
• A plastic bag to cover the form
• White glue that dries clear (nontoxic)
• craft paint brush
• plastic container
• water
• Craft felt pieces and scraps
• T-pins or other strong pins
• Newspapers or plastic to cover your workspace
• latex gloves
• 2 large rubber bands
• craft scissors
• paint if desired

Render your hat design on paper to give yourself a plan to work towards.  You may end up changing your plan slightly, but starting without a plan is definitely a mistake.  The instructions below detail how to do a V-Day "Rose" hat like the one shown, but you may choose to design a different style of hat and can extrapolate your own process based on your design crossed with the instructions below. 

Cover your workspace with plastic or newspapers, bag your head form in the plastic bag, and use a rubber band to hold the bag close to the head without a lot of air space.

Cut a circle or square of craft felt to make the base cap of the hat.  Make sure it covers the head fully.

Mix glue and water together in the plastic container about 50-50, and pour and brush the glue into the felt cap, stretching it around the head as you go. Put the second rubber band around the cap, and use it as a guide for stretching the pleats out of the cap.

Pull some more, and add pins to hold it smoothly.

Cut a piece of felt to make the pleated section in the center of the flower, soak it in the glue mixture, and fold it in pleats onto the surface of the cap. Cut, soak and attach the layers of felt that make the petals. 

Pin at strategic points as you go, to hold the layers down for a few minutes each till they have had a chance to stick.  Keep adding layers, in lighter shades of pink, till the cap is totally covered with pleated petals. add glue and pins as you go.     Let dry till it is semi-soft, but still holds together.  If it dries too long, it will take pliers to get your pins out: 

Force the hat off of the head (difficult). Then use craft shears to cut off the excess felt from the bottom of the cap piece:   Allow to dry completely before painting or adding any decorations.