DIY Luffy’s Straw Hat (Yep, It’s Just Paper)

Hey everyone!

I’m Ayushmaan, a B.Tech EEE student who’s always been into building and creating cool stuff from scratch whether it’s tech, crafts, or something in between.

I’ve also been a huge One Piece fan for years, and as a little tribute to the Straw Hat Pirates, I decided to recreate Luffy’s iconic straw hat using nothing but paper. Yep, fully made at home, modeled in Blender, unfolded with Pepakura, and finally built by hand.

And the best part? I’ve uploaded the printable template here so you can make your own too! Whether you're a fellow anime nerd, a cosplayer, or just looking for a fun DIY project — you're all set.

Let’s get into it!

Before diving into the crafting mess, here's everything I used to create the One Piece Straw Hat:

1. 300 GSM Matte Paper – Thick enough to retain shape and fold easily
2. X-Acto Knife – For cutting small precise chunks on difficult curves and edges
3. Scissors – For fast cuts on easier parts
4. Glue – Any good paper glue will do (I used Fevicol)
5. Metal Scale / Ruler – For scoring straight folds and along cuts
6. Cutting Mat – protects your table, and your knife blades
7. Safety Gloves – Because crafting shouldn't include battle scars

The hat was modeled in Blender using basic geometry.

1. I began by creating a simple straw hat shape — a domed crown and a wide brim.
2. To make it build-friendly and visually striking, I applied Blender’s Decimate Modifier to reduce the polygon count, giving it a clean low-poly look.
3. The model was kept symmetrical and uncomplicated to make it easier to unfold later and construct physically.

Although this was made in Blender, the same design can easily be recreated in Autodesk Fusion 360 using sketch + revolve tools and by limiting the number of segments manually.

I’ve also attached the original .stl file with this Instructable, so feel free to modify or use it for your own version of the hat.

Once the 3D model was done in Blender, I exported it as a .OBJ file and opened it in Pepakura Designer to turn it into a printable paper model.

To make the building process as smooth as possible, I made a few small tweaks while unfolding:

1. I used two different types of dotted lines to show different kinds of folds ( for valley and mountain folds)— this helps while shaping the curves.
2. I also added numbers on the glue tabs, so it’s easier to match the edges correctly without guessing.
3. Finally, I laid everything out to fit A4-sized paper, so it’s print-ready for almost any standard printer.

I’ve attached the PDF template in this Instructable

For this project, I used 300 GSM ivory sheets, they’re thick enough to hold the shape of the hat really well without needing any extra reinforcement.

I also printed on both sides of the paper to give it a clean finish:

1. On one side, I printed the actual template
2. On the other side, I filled the pages with solid colors:
3. 7 sheets in yellow for the main hat
4. 1 sheet in red for the hatband

This way, even the inside of the hat looks clean once it’s assembled.

Now, about sizing: my head is around 23 inches in circumference, and I found that printing the template at 105% scale gave me a perfect fit.

If your head is smaller or larger, you can easily adjust the print scale using this quick formula:

Scale (%) = (Your Head Size in inches / 23) × 105

So, Given that your head is 21 inches in diameter, the calculation would be

Scale (%)= (21 / 23) × 105 = 95.65%.

You can round that to 96% and set it while printing the PDF in Adobe Acrobat under the “Custom Scale” option.

Once your templates are printed, it’s time to start cutting.

Here’s the important part:

Always cut from the outside of the black outline — don’t trim the black border off. That line is your scale reference, so keeping it intact ensures the pieces fit as they should later during assembly.

I used a regular paper cutter and scissors for this. For tight corners and curves, smaller craft scissors made it easier. Take your time here — clean cuts will save you a lot of frustration when you're folding and gluing later on.

This is one of those steps that might seem small but makes a huge difference later when putting everything together.

First up: Scoring the fold lines

Before we even think about folding, it’s important to score the dotted lines.

Basically, you’re making a light groove so the paper bends cleanly without cracking.

I used a tool with a blunt edge—like the back side of a cutter, an old pen that doesn’t work, or even a butter knife. Just press lightly along the fold lines.

Then comes folding — but with a trick

Now when you fold, here’s a simple guide to keep things clear:

1. (- - ◉- -) = Mountain fold (fold away from you)
2. (- - - - - ) = Valley fold (fold towards you)

This little trick helped me keep track while folding without second-guessing every line.

Now, the best part (and a little bit sticky) — assembling everything together!

We'll construct the hat from top to bottom, beginning with the dome and working downwards. This keeps the shape tidy and solid as we go.

To simplify things, I've labeled each component (1, 2, 3.) and their corresponding flaps.

Follow these instructions to assemble:

1. Begin by sticking Part 1 and Part 2 together, exactly corresponding flap numbers with part numbers.
2. When they're stuck down well, stick Part 3 onto the frame, once more corresponding flaps.
3. Continue in sequence 4, 5, 6 always corresponding same-numbered parts and flaps.
4. Be patient and press each join firmly so that it retains shape

It's like building a 3D puzzle but with glue, paper, and a little bit of Luffy's spirit!

Alright, the hat’s all done — but there's one last little detail that really makes a difference.

Because we printed on white paper, some white edges show up where the pieces were cut and folded. To fix that, I just took a yellow sketch pen and gently colored over those visible white parts.

It’s a simple trick, but it really pulls the whole look together and makes the hat feel more finished. Use any pen or marker that matches your paper color — just a quick touch-up, and you're all set!

And that’s it — your very own One Piece Straw Hat is complete and ready to set sail!

From printing and cutting the template to folding and assembling each piece, you’ve just recreated a legendary symbol of adventure, friendship, and freedom. I’ve also included a printable PDF in the Unfolding step, with all parts and flaps numbered to make the process super easy to follow.

To illustrate how it would look on, I enlisted a friend to try on the finished hat — and let me tell you, it rocked!

So go for it, give it a shot! Whether a die-hard fan or someone just who likes a nice DIY project, this hat is an easy and fun build that anyone can complete. Just take some paper, glue, and some patience… and you're officially a member of the Straw Hat team.

Now, Captain — time to search for the One Piece!