3 Ways To Fix A Squashed Straw Hat - WikiHow

Home » How To Reshape A Straw Hat » 3 Ways To Fix A Squashed Straw Hat - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Fix a Squashed Straw Hat PDF download Download Article Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Steaming and Wetting the Hat
    • |
  • Reshaping the Hat
    • |
  • Protecting the Hat
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 398,607 times. Learn more...

It can be pretty easy to end up with a squashed straw hat, especially when traveling. You probably don't need to throw it away, though. It's pretty simple to reshape a squashed straw hat.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Steaming and Wetting the Hat

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  1. Step 1 Steam the hat. 1 Steam the hat. You may want to try steaming the hat first. The most common way to steam a straw hat is to use a steamer or the steam setting on an iron. You could also take the hat to a hat store that has an industrial steamer, but it's usually not necessary.
    • Apply the steam around the entire brim of the hat first. The steam will loosen the fibers. The steam will help the hat regain its natural shape.
    • You could use steam from a pot of boiling water if you don’t have a steamer, but be very careful around boiling water.[1]
    • If the steam seems like it’s saturating the hat too much, stop for a few minutes before restarting the process.[2]
  2. Step 2 Pop the brim up and steam all around the brim. 2 Pop the brim up and steam all around the brim. Keep the steam about 6 to 8 inches away from the straw hat so the steam doesn’t damage it or hurt your hands. Pop the brim back down.
    • After directing the steam around the brim, put steam throughout the inside of the hat’s crown.
    • The steam should start popping the dents in the hat back out. You don’t want the steamer or iron to actually touch the straw though.
    • Continue steaming until the hat is damp. Don't worry that you are getting too much moisture in the hat because the moisture is what will help straighten it out.
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  3. Step 3 Use your fingers to mold the hat. 3 Use your fingers to mold the hat. After you wet it or while you are steaming the hat, push everything back into shape, constantly molding the straw with your hands throughout the steaming process.
    • Pull the fibers apart with your fingers as you mold the hat. You could also use a spoon to mold the hat’s shape while it’s steaming instead of your fingers.
    • After you’ve steamed the hat, put a bowl, folded towel, or other object inside the hat. This will help its crown further regain its shape.
    • You may need to wear garden gloves or oven mitts when steaming the hat. It can be dangerous to be around hot steam, so be very careful that you don't burn yourself by getting too close to it.
  4. Step 4 Wet the hat. 4 Wet the hat. If steaming the hat doesn't work, you may want to wet the hat instead. This approach can especially work with a squished straw hat brim. Spray the hat with water. It should dry back in shape because the moisture will make the straw more pliable.
    • Just spray the hat with a misting of water. If that doesn’t work, you may want to dip the hat’s crown into a bowl of warm water. You don’t want the hat to be too dry or the straw could crack.
    • Make sure it’s evenly wet by turning it around and around in the bowl.[3] After wetting the hat, you will want to mold it back into shape with your fingers or another object.
    • It might worry you to get a straw hat wet, but don't worry about that. It's one of the most common ways to reshape a hat.
  5. Step 5 Let the hat sit and dry out. 5 Let the hat sit and dry out. When you're done steaming or wetting it, you need to give the straw hat a chance to dry.
    • Start the steaming or wetting process all over again if the hat still hasn’t regained its perfect shape.
    • It depends on the hat and amount of damage. Some hats only require one steaming or wetting, but other hats may need to go through the process a second time.
    • Try for one steaming or wetting if possible, though, because you don't want to constantly reshape a hat.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Reshaping the Hat

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  1. Step 1 Roll up a towel to mold the hat. 1 Roll up a towel to mold the hat. Instead of wetting or steaming the hat, you could try molding it back into shape. You could moisten the towel for good measure. The moisture will help the straw relax even more. Basically, the towel is going to substitute for your head.
    • Now, put the straw hat on top of the rolled-up towel. Let it sit there for a while to help the straw hat reform into the right shape.[4]
    • You want to make sure that you roll the towel widely enough and that you put the hat as far into it as you can. The towel method is a good choice if you’re on vacation and don’t have access to other hat-sized objects.
    • You could also stuff the hat with tissue paper or with pieces of crumpled up newspaper.
  2. Step 2 Put a round object inside the hat. 2 Put a round object inside the hat. Instead of a towel, you could put a bowl inside the hat or any other round object that will snugly fit inside the hat. This should help it take a head-like shape again.
    • Weights, clips or strings can also be used to hold down the hat, so that it starts to take its original shape.[5]
    • You could use any round object for this purpose, but you want to make sure that it fits perfectly inside the hat’s crown or it won’t help.
    • If it’s too big, it could damage the hat or actually make it more misshapen. Any object that is the right shape to fit inside the hat's crown should work.
  3. Step 3 Iron the hat. 3 Iron the hat. Rest the brim of the hat wrong side up on the edge of an ironing board. Place a damp cloth onto the brim. Set the iron to a fairly hot temperature.
    • Press the iron around the brim over the damp cloth. Press very gently and quickly and do not let the iron rest on the brim. This is very important or you could burn the straw.
    • Rotate the brim to move it around in its entirety. Iron the tops. The tops require careful treatment depending on their style. Be very careful when using an iron on straw. If you don't put the damp cloth between the iron and straw, you could burn the hat.
    • Take care not to get the hat crushed or squashed again, as the straw is already weakened from the first squash. Each time the hat will become less resilient until the individual straws begin to snap and loosen.
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Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Protecting the Hat

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  1. Step 1 Buy a head block. 1 Buy a head block. These are Styrofoam heads that your hat can sit on when you aren't wearing it. This is the best way to regain the hat’s shape because it’s literally a fake head.
    • These aren’t as tough to find as you might think. You actually can buy them from many beauty supply stores because they are often used for people to store wigs. Just ask for a Styrofoam wig head.
    • After you wet or steam the hat, put the hat on the Styrofoam head block. Position it so that it’s sitting firmly on the block. Or just regularly store your hat on such a head block when you aren't wearing it.
    • You could insert pins through the brim into the Styrofoam to maintain the shape. Shape the brim with your hands.
  2. Step 2 Place a heavy object over the hat. 2 Place a heavy object over the hat. You want the object to sit on top of the hat’s brim in order to keep it flat and from curling up.
    • For example, you could take a small wastepaper basket or an ice bucket and put it on top of the hat, leaving it to sit against the brim for a few hours. The item needs to fit on top of the entire crown of the hat.
    • The weight of the basket or bucket should press the brim back into flattened shape. You want to make sure the basket or bucket large enough not to squish the rest of the hat, though.
    • This method is designed to flatten out a squashed straw hat brim, not to fix the dents in the crown of the hat.
  3. Step 3 Keep the hat protected. 3 Keep the hat protected. It’s a good idea to make sure that your hat doesn’t get too squished in the first place. There are ways you can keep your hat’s shape protected.
    • When traveling, carry your hat in a hat box or simply wear it on your head. Jamming a straw hat into a suitcase is a recipe for disaster.[6]
    • Avoid flexing the hat repeatedly, or it could become misshapen and some of the straw could even crack. You don’t want to weaken the hat’s crown or brim too much.
    • To clean light straw hats, you could use ½ teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide mixed with ½ teaspoon of warm water. To clean dark straw hats, mix ½ teaspoon of ammonia with 1/3 cup of water. You could also rub the hat with a piece of velvet that you’ve held in steam for a little bit.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question How can I harden a straw hat? Community Answer Community Answer Spray it with heavy starch and leave it to sit in a bowl or something of similar shape. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 28
  • Question My hat is felt, not straw. Can I still use the steaming method? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, steaming felt hats also will help them regain their natural shape. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 9
  • Question Won't the water damage the hat? Community Answer Community Answer Try steaming the hat first. That will introduce just enough moisture to make it pliable without making it too wet. However, if that doesn't work, getting the straw wetter can help you reshape it. Just make sure to dry it in the shape you want, and don't let it stay wet too long. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 7
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Video

Tips

  • Avoid direct contact between the iron and the straw hat at all times. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
  • If the hat has a brim facing up, iron carefully to the brim edge; the edge should retain its shape. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 4
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4NFSP3LLh8
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPoFiVL52hM
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBLI_yTvp9E
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBLI_yTvp9E
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4MbPnSx7GA
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMhOPMfdItY

About This Article

wikiHow Staff Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 398,607 times. 72 votes - 94% Co-authors: 15 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 398,607 Categories: Hatmaking (Millinery) Article SummaryX

To fix a squashed straw hat, bring a pot of water to boil and hold the brim of the hat over the steam. Pop the brim up and down while it is over the steam, and use your fingers to mold the hat throughout the process. If that doesn’t pop the hat back into place, wet the hat by squirting water onto it or dipping it into a bowl of warm water. Then, it will be more pliable so you can reshape it and let it dry. Keep reading to learn how to use towels and irons to reshape the hat! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Millie Adkins

    Millie Adkins

    Jun 20, 2019

    "I had no idea how to fix my favorite hat that my great granddaughter hid under a chair seat cushion about a week..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. wikiHow Staff Co-authored by: wikiHow Staff wikiHow Staff Writer Co-authors: 15 Updated: March 10, 2025 Views: 398,607 94% of readers found this article helpful. 72 votes - 94% Click a star to add your vote Millie Adkins

Millie Adkins

Jun 20, 2019

"I had no idea how to fix my favorite hat that my great granddaughter hid under a chair seat cushion about a week..." more Fiona Burt

Fiona Burt

Aug 2, 2016

"This looks really easy and effective. I have three hats that I was going to bin. You have given them a reprieve...." more Jill Simbari

Jill Simbari

May 18, 2016

"I haven't used the suggestions in the article yet but they make sense and I will certainly follow the..." more Nico Ornelas

Nico Ornelas

Aug 1, 2016

"Thanks for sharing your process on how to reshape a crushed straw hat, I thought my favorite hat was ruined after..." more A. N.

A. N.

Apr 24, 2019

"My mom got her hat crushed by leaving it in a closet. We used the steaming water, and it worked!" Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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Tag » How To Reshape A Straw Hat