Create a hat in Paris with Lady Gaga's hatmaker: Learn luxury craftsmanship

Shape felt with steam and your hands, walk out with a hat nobody else owns

Create a unique hat at MiniMeParis, a Paris workshop run by a Chanel and Hermès designer who has dressed Lady Gaga and thousands of others. You choose your material from merinos wool felt, premium rabbit felt, hand-dyed felts, natural straw or panamas, pick a shape (fedora, trilby, canotier or capeline), then learn the traditional hatmaking process using water, steam, mallets and pins under guidance from experienced hatmakers. The workshop includes felt or straw, over a thousand decoration options, water, and coffee or tea. Children from age 10 are welcome. The guide speaks English or French depending on your session.

The experience

What does it take to make a hat the way luxury houses do it? The answer starts with choosing your material: standard merinos wool felt, premium rabbit felt, hand-dyed felts, natural straw, or panamas in over thirty colors. Once you've picked, you move to the wood block: fedora, trilby, canotier or capeline. The shape you choose is the skeleton your hat will build around.

Then comes the craft. You'll work with water, steam, mallets and pins. The same tools hatmakers have used for generations. The felt stretches and molds over the block, and yes, it actually goes into an oven to set. This is not decoration. This is the structure taking shape. A guide who trained at Chanel, Hermès and Balmain walks you through each step, so the process that looks simple is actually precise.

The final stage is where your hat becomes yours. Over a thousand accessories sit waiting: scarves, ribbons, buttons, charms, chains, leather swatches, flowers, brooches, pins, embroideries and linings. You pick what goes on, where it sits, how much or how little. Three hours in, you leave with something you made, not a souvenir, not a copy, but a hat that exists because you decided what it should be. The workshop also sends you home with a guide to the coolest spots in Paris if you want to explore after.

What’s included

• Your choice of standard merinos wool felt or straw.
• over a thousand decoration accessories including scarves, ribbons, buttons, charms, chains, linings, leather swatches, flowers, brooches, pins and embroideries.
• bottled water.
• coffee and tea.
• a guide to the best spots in Paris to explore afterward.

Options for this experience

2 options

Weekend WorkshopsGuide in English or French · 10:00, 14:00 and 14:30Weekend Workshops

Evening WorkshopsGuide in English or French · 17:00Lasts 3 hours

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00, 14:00, 14:30 and 17:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (15 to 80 years) · Infant (10 to 14 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problems

Operated by MiniMeParis Experiences

Is this one for you?Book an evening workshop if you want to create after work without taking a day off, or choose a weekday or weekend session depending on when you have three uninterrupted hours. The guide speaks English or French. Pick the language that suits you at checkout.

Traveler reviews

4.66★★★★★★★★★★

103 verified traveler reviews

5 ★85

4 ★10

3 ★3

2 ★1

1 ★4

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (10 to 14 years). Children under 10 can't be included in the booking.

What materials can I choose from for my hat?

You pick from standard merinos wool felt, premium rabbit felt, hand-dyed felts, natural straw, or panamas, with over thirty colors available. The material you choose determines the feel and weight of your finished hat.

Do I need any hatmaking experience to join?

No experience is required. The guide teaches you the traditional process step by step: how to work with water, steam, mallets and pins to shape and mold your felt. Suitable for all physical fitness levels.

How many decoration options are there?

Over a thousand accessories are available to decorate your creation: scarves, ribbons, buttons, charms, chains, linings, leather swatches, flowers, brooches, pins and embroideries. You choose what goes on your hat.

What hat shapes can I make?

You can choose from four classic shapes: fedora, trilby, canotier or capeline. The shape you pick is the wood block your felt will stretch and mold around.