Some of the links provided are affiliate links, which means if you click on one of the links I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps support me and my site at no extra cost to you. Thanks! 🙂

Have you ever needed a particular colored hat for your costume or cosplay? Have you realized how pricey top hats can be? Finding a maroon/burgundy one for my Phillip Carlyle cosplay wasn’t difficult, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money!
Then, I wondered if I would be able to simply paint it the color I wanted. I bought a pair of these cheap felt hats off of Amazon, grabbed some Mod Podge and found the perfect wine colored acrylic paint from Michael’s. The Folkart paint in black cherry is a good choice for this!

Supplies you’ll need:
- Felt hat
- Mod Podge
- Acrylic paint in whatever color you choose
- Foam brush
First, you’ll want to coat the entire hat (not the inside) with Mod Podge, making sure to get into all the grooves. This works as a base coat and will keep the paint from seeping into the felt.
Then, once it’s completely dry, do a coat of the acrylic paint you chose. You’ll probably have to do a couple of coats, letting them dry in between. I wound up having to only paint on two coats.
Once the color has dried, just put another coat of Mod Podge over it to ensure it won’t crack or flake…and that’s literally it! You can decorate it however you’d like or leave it plain. For mine, I just wrapped some black ribbon around it to look more like Phillip’s.
If you’d like to see more photos from my genderbent Phillip Carlyle cosplay, you can check them out here. Also, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and follow me on social. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂