What Is the Hats+ Resource Pack for Minecraft?
If you have ever wanted to turn your ordinary carved pumpkin helmet into a wearable work of art, Hats+ was the pack that made it possible. Designed as a texture pack relying on Optifine or the CIT Resewn mod, Hats+ let players rename carved pumpkins on an anvil to trigger custom JSON models. Put that renamed pumpkin on your head, and suddenly you were sporting a tiny axolotl, a floating crown, a retro question block, or even a full set of RGB gaming mustache. The idea was simple: take the vanilla carved pumpkin slot and transform it into a canvas for dozens of unique hat models without needing any complex server plugins.
How Custom Hats Work with Optifine and CIT
The magic behind Hats+ lies in Minecraft’s custom item textures feature. By using Optifine or the CIT Resewn mod, the game can read the item name you give a carved pumpkin and swap its model on the fly. When you wear that renamed pumpkin, the helmet renderer displays a completely different 3D shape—like a sleeping fox, a diamond pickaxe stuck in your head, or a tiny creeper riding on top. The pack included a text file listing every available hat name, so you could simply rename your pumpkin to “little man1” or “celestial witch hat” and see the change instantly. This approach kept the experience fully client-side, meaning you could show off your hats on any server that allowed resource packs, without requiring the server to install anything extra.
An early showcase of the Hats+ pack, featuring a variety of hat models worn by players in-game.
A Closer Look at the Hat Collection
Hats+ packed an impressive variety of models into one download. The hats were organized by contributor, and the list grew with each update. Here is a snapshot of some standout categories:
- Miniature companions: Little man figures, axolotl head, mushroom man, hedgehog, sleeping fox, and sleeping wolf.
- Mob-inspired hats: Little creeper, little enderman, little zombie, allay, copper golem, glow squid.
- Accessories and gadgets: Cool glasses, spy glass hat (with a robotic arm), water spill, villager nose, lightbulb, halo.
- Headwear and crowns: Flower crown, floating crown, celestial witch hat, traffic cone, king trisekiel.
- Mustaches: Five variants including brown, dark brown, black, pink/mark stash, and an RGB gaming stash.
- Headphones: Green, blue, and orange models.
- Banners and symbols: Optifine banner, Minecraft banner, Subnautica-inspired banner, Discord, YouTube, and Twitch banners.
- Fun extras: Mario ? block, arrow through the head, on fire effect, moon and moon orbit, sun, spoilers (elytra on head), and a 10k downloads celebration hat.
Each hat was activated by renaming a carved pumpkin with the exact name from the list. The pack also included collaborative models from creators like Hosi, TristenLosey, HenyPotter, and others, making it a community-driven project that kept expanding.
Installation and Requirements
To get Hats+ running, you needed either Optifine or the CIT Resewn mod. The installation process was straightforward: download the resource pack, place it in your resourcepacks folder, and activate it in-game. Optifine could be obtained from its official download page, while CIT Resewn was available on CurseForge. Once everything was set up, you simply crafted a carved pumpkin, used an anvil to rename it to your chosen hat, and equipped it in the helmet slot. For players who prefer a streamlined experience, this pack can be easily installed via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu. The launcher handles compatibility and file placement automatically, so you can jump straight into customizing your look.
The iconic RGB mustache hat in action, demonstrating the pack’s playful and creative potential.
The Future: Pumpkins+ Takes Over
Development on Hats+ has been discontinued, but the project lives on in an even bigger form. All hats from Hats+ have been merged into Pumpkins+, a massive unified resource pack that continues to receive updates and new models. You can find Pumpkins+ on CurseForge and Modrinth, where it now serves as the definitive collection for carved pumpkin hat enthusiasts. The transition means that existing Hats+ users can simply switch to Pumpkins+ to enjoy all the familiar hats plus a growing array of new additions. If you were still using the old pack, it is highly recommended to upgrade to Pumpkins+ for the latest fixes and content.
Why Hats+ Still Matters
Even though Hats+ is no longer being updated, its legacy is worth celebrating. It demonstrated how a simple vanilla mechanic could be transformed into a rich cosmetic system using only client-side mods. The pack inspired a wave of creativity, from tiny mob companions to absurd mustaches, and proved that Minecraft’s customization potential is nearly limitless. Whether you are a builder, an adventurer, or a server host looking to add flair without heavy modding, the concept behind Hats+ remains a brilliant example of what resource packs can achieve. And with Pumpkins+ carrying the torch, the fun is far from over.
Conclusion
Hats+ was a charming and inventive resource pack that turned carved pumpkins into a wardrobe of over fifty unique hats. By leveraging Optifine or CIT, it gave players an easy way to personalize their in-game appearance without altering core gameplay. While the pack itself is no longer in active development, its entire collection lives on in Pumpkins+, ensuring that your favorite hats—and many more—are still just a pumpkin rename away. If you enjoy adding personality to your Minecraft character, exploring the world of custom hats is a delightful rabbit hole that is well worth your time.