Barbara's hats are made from felt, straw, sinamay, silk or cotton. The felt hats are individually made from 100% merino, alpaca, lama or a combination of these fibers.

Most of the straw hats begin with a blank shape or hood. The felt and straw hats are formed and blocked using millinery techniques to create the finished hat.

Some hats are sewn from fabrics and finished with millinery techniques. Many of the trims combine antique ribbons, flowers and buttons.