Indian Creek Hat Company

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Boise, ID
Indian Creek Hat Company

Niki Manning-Custom Hat Maker located in Boise, Idaho & dedicated to creating custom, hand-made hats.

09/03/2026

AI in the western/ag world means a little something different than all the mainstream chatter. 😂

For the purpose of this post, I’m talking about AI — artificial intelligence — not artificial insemination. Although around here, I’m pretty sure a lot of folks who follow me from the ag world hear “AI” and think the latter first. 😆🤠🐄

I already know factories and corporations are going to keep moving forward with artificial intelligence. And honestly, that’s okay.

Here’s the deal…

I’ll still be over here making hats one at a time.

I use a few modern tools that hat makers 100 years ago didn’t have, but the heart of the process really hasn’t changed much. I still shape, steam, iron, trim, stitch and build every hat by hand. I still steam your individual head shape into the sweatband for that truly personal fit. And I still take the time to add the little details that make your hat yours.

There will never be a conveyor belt in my shop.

No mass production. No cookie-cutter hats. No two exactly alike.

Just one customer, one hat, and a whole lot of hands-on craftsmanship.

I don’t hate AI, either. There’s plenty of good that can hopefully come from it. But I have a feeling it’s not going to change my day-to-day all that much.

Because some things are just better when a human being makes them.

Cheers to old trades, new tools and one-of-a-kind hat making. 🤠

09/02/2026

Nobody tells you the daily grind hits different when you’re the boss. 🤠

There’s no clocking out at 5. No HR department. No corporate ladder. No one handing you a paycheck just for showing up.

Some days I’m building beautiful hats. Other days I’m answering messages, ordering supplies, cleaning the shop, doing bookkeeping, taking photos, making content and wondering where the heck the day went. 😂

But here’s the trade-off…

I get to build something that’s mine. I get to work with my hands, make something that will last for generations, meet incredible people and decide what direction this little business goes.

I traded the corporate grind for the cowboy hat grind—and I wouldn’t trade it back for anything.

It’s a lot of work. But it’s my work.

And honestly? That feels pretty dang good. 🤎 And thank you to all of you cheering me on here!

08/30/2026

My hat shop is currently just a little spot in a home office space and most days it resembles a horror film…guess that’s just the creative process. I know I have a few more months left to make do in my space, but every day I’m dreaming of a larger and more organized space. It’s officially in the works and will take you along on the process when it becomes more than just boring permits.

Stay tuned!

08/28/2026

ABOUT LAST NIGHT… 🤎

$3700 was the final bid…incredible!

I’ve been thinking about last night all morning, and honestly, my heart is just full.

I haven’t heard the final amount raised at the fundraiser yet, but I know it was a BIG number, and I feel pretty darn grateful that I got to play even a small part in it.

I’ll admit, I was nervous going into the evening. Not sure why, because if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this community, it’s that when there’s a need, people show up—and they show up BIG.

And boy, did they ever.

The generosity, the volunteers, the staff, the beautiful venue, the folks who donated and the folks who simply came out to support…it was one of those nights where you look around and think, this is what community is supposed to look like.

I don’t know who won the hat just yet, but I sure am excited to find out. I can’t wait to meet them, hear what they have in mind, and build them a beautiful custom hat that they’ll hopefully love for a whole lot of years.

I’m just one little hat maker, but getting to be part of something bigger than myself is pretty darn special.

Feeling very grateful today. 🤎

08/27/2026

Grace & Grit

Last week another hat maker left a few comments on one of my Facebook posts about how I do some things way too differently than my mentor taught me—and even stated that my mentor would be “upset” by the way I build hats TODAY (using a brim press and sander) .

Well, here’s the thing…

I’m incredibly grateful for the foundation my mentor gave me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without those lessons, that knowledge, and the years of experience that were passed down to me.

But I’ve also worked hard to develop my own hands, my own eye, and my own way of building a hat. That’s part of learning a trade. You take what you’ve been taught, respect the craft, keep learning, and eventually you find your own rhythm.

And apparently, my pink fingernails have become part of his conversation too. 😂 I’m still trying to figure out exactly how the color of my fingernails affects the quality of the hats I build, but he definitely made a point that seemed like something so simple like pink fingernails were a flaw of mine and I guess he didn’t feel like a hat maker should have.

This week, after the passing of an icon like Dolly Parton, I’ve found myself reflecting on the way she carried herself through a lifetime of people having opinions about her appearance, her style, and who she was supposed to be in contrast to the artist she was.

One of her quotes really stuck with me:

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

That feels pretty fitting.

I hope people judge me by the work coming out of my shop—not by my fingernails, my appearance, or whether I build a hat exactly the way someone else does.

I have enormous respect for the old ways and for the people who taught me. But I also believe there’s room in this trade for each maker to bring a little of themselves to the bench.

I’ll keep learning. I’ll keep improving. I’ll keep respecting the craft.

And I’ll keep building hats my way—with pink fingernails and all-cuz that’s who I am. 💅🏼🤠

Because at the end of the day, I’m just trying to do what Dolly said:

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.

08/25/2026

I’m incredibly grateful for the 24 years I spent as a bedside respiratory therapist. It was a career that taught me so much, gave me some incredible memories, and introduced me to some amazing people.

But sometimes you just crave change.

You can stay where you’re comfortable and always wonder, what if? Or you can take the leap and figure it out along the way.

I chose the latter.

When I left healthcare and jumped headfirst into custom hat making, I honestly had no idea what was ahead. I certainly didn’t expect this business to be received and supported the way it has been.

Since then, I’ve been building beautiful hats, learning an old trade, meeting incredible people from all over, and somehow growing this little business at warp speed. This week we even started planning fio building hat shop on our property. (Yayyyyy! FINALLY!)

It’s been exciting, humbling, terrifying at times—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Thank you to everyone who has trusted me with a hat, shared my work, followed along, or simply cheered me on. You’ve made this leap a lot easier and I appreciate all who send referrals, share my page, like comment and just follow along!

08/19/2026

Another custom pure beaver hat out the door! 🩶

Beautiful, timeless, and classic—exactly the kind of hat that never goes out of style. And I love that this one is staying local, which means I’ll probably get to run into Elena every now and then while she’s wearing it. That’s one of my favorite parts of doing what I do.

As always, thank you to everyone who continues to support Indian Creek Hat Co., orders a hat, shares my work, or simply follows along. It truly means more than you know. ❤️

Hat: Charcoal in 100% beaver
4” brim-relaxed but we did tweak a little at pickup
Teardrop crown and custom liner

Address

395 E Indian Creek Road
Boise, ID
83716

Website

https://www.indiancreekhatcompany.com/

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