The Robinson Crusoe Hat is pretty and becoming.
The number of leaves needed depends upon the size of the leaves and the size of your head. It is well to have at least a dozen and a half; then you can select the best. The largest leaves are not always perfect, but unless very much torn or eaten away by insects they will answer. To gather all you need you will probably have to visit several of the little scrub-oaks.
Fig.73 - Pin the leaves together in this way.
If you are at home when you make your hat, use broom-straws to pin the leaves together; if you are in the woods find some smooth, slender twigs, break them in short pieces, and they will take the place of the straws.
Begin by pinning two leaves together as they are in [Fig. 73]. These leaves are lettered U and V. You see that U is lapped over V and then pinned to it in two places, first near the stem and then through the lower side lobe. The next leaf would be letter W, and W would be pinned to U just as U is pinned to V. Make the stems meet at the top and keep adding leaves, pinning one to another, until the hat is large enough to fit your head comfortably, then pin the last leaf to the first.
Do not make the hat too flat; if you find it flattening out, lap the leaves over more at the bottom. When finished it should be shaped like [Fig. 72].