You'll need:

• 11" square handkerchief with or without lace (batiste, fine cotton or linen are best, but anything pretty will work)

• 12" of 1/2" wide ribbon for gathering the back of bonnet

• 1 yard of 1/2" wide ribbon for tying under the baby's chin (narrower ribbon may be used here)

• Matching thread

• Straight pins

• Safety pin

Wash, press and starch (if desired) the handkerchief. 

If you chose to, you may add narrow lace along all four edges with a hand running stitch or by machine, keeping the tension loose so as not to pucker the fabric.

Fold up one edge about 1" for casing.  (If narrower ribbon is used, reduce width of casing leaving enough room to insert ribbon.)  

Tack all along the length 7/8" or so from the fold with a running stitch. 

Fasten a safety pin to one end of the 12" long ribbon and feed it through the casing.  Loosely gather the casing and tie the ribbon into a bow to make a circle at the back of the bonnet.

Front of bonnet

Fold the opposite side from the casing back 2 1/4" for the front of the bonnet.  Pin in place on the corners. Do not crease or iron flat because you don't want any permanent creases in the hankie for the bride.  

Cut the yard length of ribbon in half, making the cut diagonally for a better appearance. 

Take one piece of ribbon and make three 1/2" or so loops for decoration. 

Tack those loops to one of the front sides, approximately 1" from the front edge and 1" from the bottom edge, knotting the thread on the inside.  Repeat on the opposite side of the bonnet.  

Tie knots in the ribbons about 1/4" from the ends to keep them from raveling.

Puddle the ribbon in a pretty box for presentation or tie it into a bow.