How to Make a Felt Jester Collar Without a Purchased Pattern

Felt suits this construction because its cut edges do not fray, so the pointed outline can remain unhemmed. Pound Fabrics also identifies blanket stitch and whip stitch as optional decorative finishes for felt. That lets you build a single-layer collar without turning narrow points through a seam. Pound Fabrics, “Sewing with Felt”

Choose felt that bends readily and holds a clean cut. Before committing to a large piece, cut a sample triangle about as long as your planned points. Hold its base horizontally and check whether you like the way its tip hangs. Use that result to choose your point length or decide whether to add a backing layer.

Gather:

• Felt large enough for the complete paper template; the worked example needs approximately a 36 × 36 cm piece.
• Large paper, or smaller sheets taped together.
• A flexible tape measure, ruler, pencil, and protractor.
• A drawing compass, or string for drawing circles.
• Separate paper and fabric scissors.
• Sewing thread, a hand-sewing needle, and pins or clips.
• Two ribbon lengths, approximately 25–30 cm each, for the closure.
• Optional contrasting felt and embroidery floss.

Use fabric scissors for the felt and paper scissors for the template. Pound Fabrics recommends fabric cutting scissors or a rotary cutter for clean felt edges, and an embroidery or crewel needle that does not leave unnecessarily large holes. Pound Fabrics, “Sewing with Felt”

Measure around the place where the collar’s inner edge should sit, over the clothing you intend to wear beneath it. Keep the tape in the position you want the finished opening to occupy. Record this circumference as N.

For the first paper draft, add 2 cm of ease to that measurement. This is a suggested drafting allowance, not a universal fit rule. Calculate the inner radius using r = (N + 2) ÷ 6.28. Use centimetres throughout.

You also need two design measurements: the width of the unbroken band surrounding the opening, and the length of each point beyond that band. A 3 cm band with 7 cm points is a practical starting design for the paper trial.

Draft measurement	Calculation	Illustrative result
Measured circumference	N	40 cm
Initial opening circumference	N + 2 cm	42 cm
Inner radius	42 ÷ 6.28	About 6.7 cm
Valley radius	Inner radius + 3 cm band	About 9.7 cm
Point-tip radius	Valley radius + 7 cm points	About 16.7 cm
Overall template diameter	Twice the point-tip radius	About 33.4 cm

The valleys are the inward corners between adjacent points. Keeping them on a circle outside the neck opening preserves a continuous band all the way around the collar. Increasing point length changes the silhouette without changing the calculated opening.

Mark a centre point on your paper. From that same centre, draw three concentric circles using your calculated radii: the neck opening, the valley circle, and the point-tip circle. If using string, anchor one end at the centre and hold the pencil at the required distance with the string taut.

1. Draw a line through the centre and label one end centre back.
2. Use a protractor to divide the circle into eight equal 45-degree sectors, starting at the centre-back line.
3. Mark a valley where each sector boundary crosses the valley circle.
4. Bisect each sector: mark a point tip halfway between its boundaries, on the outer circle.
5. Join each tip to the two neighbouring valleys with straight lines.
6. Cut around this zigzag outline and remove the inner circle.
7. Cut along the centre-back line from its valley to the neck opening.

You now have a pointed ring with one opening at the back. The centre-back cut passes through the continuous band; the other valley lines remain pencil guides and must not be cut toward the neckline.

For six broader points, divide the circle into six 60-degree sectors instead. Keep the same neck-opening calculation and band width. Eight points provide a useful first draft because you can create the sector boundaries by successively halving a circle into quarters and eighths.

Place the paper collar over the intended outfit, bringing the two back edges together. Check the opening, overall width, and position of the points. Paper will not drape exactly like felt, but it lets you judge the outline and identify an opening that needs adjustment.

This circular draft is a simplified costume construction. A garment collar fitted to a particular neckline uses more detailed shaping: Dresspatternmaking’s Peter Pan collar instructions derive the neckline from front and back bodice blocks and adjust their shoulder overlap. The circular method here therefore needs a fitting check rather than an assumption that circumference alone determines its final position. Dresspatternmaking, “Peter Pan Collar”

Use the following sequence to make adjustments:

• The back edges cannot meet at the intended position: enlarge the paper opening a little at a time, then retest.
• The collar sits farther out than you want: tape paper into the opening to reduce it, then redraw a smooth inner curve.
• The points extend too far over the outfit: shorten their tips while preserving the band.
• The front edge needs a lower curve: redraw it slightly deeper at centre front, blending gradually into both sides. Check that a useful continuous band remains.

A larger opening changes the fit noticeably: increasing the radius by 0.5 cm adds approximately 3.1 cm to the circumference. Make small changes and recheck instead of removing a broad strip in one pass.

When satisfied, label the template with centre front, centre back, and your final measurements. Measure its widest span before selecting or cutting your felt.

Lay the felt flat and position the finished paper template on it. Pin or weight the paper so it cannot shift. Trace with a marking method tested on a scrap, or cut carefully around the secured template.

Cut the outer points, inner opening, and centre-back slit. Stop at the intended outline at every valley; extending a cut inward would narrow the continuous band. Keep the original paper template for checking symmetry and making a second layer if needed.

For a two-colour collar, add contrasting overlays to alternating points. Trace four individual points from the template, including a shallow curved base that extends about 1 cm inward from the valley circle. Cut these shapes from a second colour and place them on alternate points.

Hand-sew each overlay around its perimeter with small running stitches. Keep the thread relaxed enough that the felt remains flat. Pound Fabrics specifically advises against pulling thread too tightly through thin acrylic felt, where holes can enlarge. Pound Fabrics, “Sewing with Felt”

If the overlays make the points too stiff for your intended look, use smaller contrasting diamonds or circles instead. Test one decoration on a scrap before repeating it across the collar.

Position one ribbon at each side of the back opening, close to the neckline. Lay approximately 2 cm of each ribbon flat on the underside of the felt, with the remaining length extending beyond the back edge.

Sew through the ribbon and felt in a small rectangle, then add a second line of stitches across the attachment. If the felt distorts around the stitches, place a small felt patch underneath the attachment area and stitch through all three layers. Pound Fabrics recommends extra stitches at attachments that receive repeated pulling. Pound Fabrics, “Sewing with Felt”

Try on the collar and tie the ribbons in a bow with the back edges just meeting. Adjust the ribbon length after this trial. If the ribbons must draw the edges together from a large gap, return to the opening measurement and fit rather than using the closure to force the shape.

A single-layer collar can be complete once its ties and decorations are attached. Trim any uneven edges with small, deliberate cuts, comparing neighbouring points rather than repeatedly trimming the whole outline.

For a backed version, cut a second collar from the final template. Complete any surface decoration first, then place the layers together with their intended outer faces showing. Match the neck opening, valleys, tips, and back edges. Join the layers around the entire perimeter with blanket stitch, leaving the points unstuffed.

Clover’s original felt-lettering project demonstrates pairing cut felt shapes, refining their outlines, and joining them with blanket stitch. The same edge-joining technique can be applied to the paired collar layers; the collar draft and sizing above are separate project instructions. Clover, “Felt Lettering”

To make blanket stitch, bring the needle through near the edge, then take the next stitch through the felt a short distance along. Leave a loop and pass the needle through it before drawing the thread snug. Repeat with consistent spacing so the connecting thread rests along the cut edge.

Check the completed collar over the outfit once more. The opening should sit where you planned, the back edges should meet with the bow tied, and the points should show the length and colour arrangement you chose. Keep the corrected paper template: it records the fit and gives you a reliable starting shape for another felt collar.

• “Sewing with Felt” — Pound Fabrics
• “Peter Pan Collar” — Dresspatternmaking
• “Felt Lettering” — Clover