Steampunk: Top Hat WIP -part 1

I've currently got a couple different Steampunk projects going on, but I'm going to give each one it's own post for now.:)

First off... the Top Hat. 

I played with the idea of making my own from foam via this YouTube video:

But really wasn't confident in myself to do a good job at it with drawing out my own pattern and all that.
So next I hit up Hobby Lobby...I found a foam top hat in the kid's section and actually bought it, just in case I couldn't find anything better and figured, if nothing else, I could cover it in fabric and do my best with it.

Thankfully, at my next stop that day, I found a better and sturdier top hat at the Party America shop in town. It doesn't have the wider top that I wanted, but it'll work for my needs.

 But I'm not crazy about it plain like this, so I'll be covering it in these fabrics:

The embossed fake leather fabric will cover the hat, the blue/brown upholstery fabric below will be a mini corset around the middle of the hat with those black eyelets down the edges...which will be painted an aged gold, the lace there is a lovely deep red that shifts to almost a black as it moves...like satin. The chocolate brown satin will be the sash at the base of the hat and I've got black edging tape to go around the edge of the brim.

-I'll be putting my goggles on the brim, I've got a decorative piece that I'll add to the side of the hat and am wanting to add some feathers.

If I can find one in time, I plan to attach a painted, toy octopus to this hat...as though it's climbing up the side. We'll have to see on that one, though.

I don't have the time or the patience to sew the fabric onto the hat at this time, so I'll be using this tutorial on how to use glue and spray adhesive to cover the hat in fabric:

How to cover a top hat with fabric -Chloe's Crafts

I'm hoping that this toy octopus (if I can find one in town soon) won't prove to be too top-heavy on the hat. I'll have to temporarily attach it to see before I actually start working on it, I guess.

I'll post more pics. once I get started on the hat.:)