Become Familiar with Red Hats

• Check out the Red Hat Society online and you will see a lot of photos of women wearing red hats. As you review the pictures, jot down notes regarding the hat accents to give you ideas for decorating a Red Hat cake. Take note of the different styles of hats that Red Hatters wear so proudly for inspiration on how to create the body of the cake. Cover any flavor cake with red fondant icing or red sugar icing.
  
  

Feathers, Boas and Small Hats

• Incorporate feathers and feather boas into your Red Hat cake decorations. They can be red or purple or a combination of both colors. Choose small, medium or large feathers or boa pieces based on the size of the cake. Avoid using decorations that are too large and overwhelm the overall look of the cake. You can purchase miniature red hats on the Red Hat Society website to place on top of a plain cake for a quick decorative transformation.
  
  

Flowers

• Choose red or purple flowers to decorate your Red Hat cake. You can use fresh flowers, silk flowers or even plastic flowers to adorn your cake. Place flowers on the brim or around the cake or position them on top of the cake. If you are making the hat for a individual Red Hatter for her birthday or other special occasion, ask her what her favorite flower is beforehand and use that flower to decorate the Red Hat cake.
  
  

Hatbands, Ribbons and Butterfly Clips

• Make a hatband to decorate your Red Hat shaped cake. Use purple fondant icing to sculpt a hatband that goes around the hat's crown. Alternatively, you can use a piece of ribbon to tie around the cake. The ribbon should be red or purple. Another idea is to attach a purple or red butterfly clip onto the Red Hat cake. Allow your creative juices to flow. Red Hats -- the ladies, their hats and their cakes -- are supposed to be flamboyant and noticed.