How to Make a Tiara for Kids

At some point during childhood, all little girls love to pretend they're princesses. One of the most exciting parts of playing princess is wearing the crown or tiara. You can make a tiara for your girls using a few simple items you might already have at home. If not, you can find most at the dollar store or craft shop. The most challenging part is making it fit properly. This tiara is made from gold or silver poster board and sparkly gems. Spray paint a piece of thin cardboard if you can't find it in gold or silver.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Gold or silver poster board
• Plastic gems
• Glue
• Tape

Instructions

1. Measure around your child's head to find where the tiara will sit comfortably. Use a ruler to draw a paper pattern of the bottom band, making it 1 inch high and the width of your child's head around. Cut out a paper rectangle 7 inches high by the width of the band.

2. Follow the pattern shown to make the top of the tiara. Fold the paper rectangle in half, vertically. Doing this will help make both sides of the tiara match. Draw one round center bubble at the 7-inch high midpoint. Keeping them all about the same size, make three scalloped circles, descending diagonally to the 1-inch-high band that goes around the child's head. When you unfold the pattern, both sides of the tiara should be equal. If they aren't, fold the paper in half again, and sketch over the mismatched sides so they match.

3. Cut out the paper pattern. Lay the pattern on the back side of the colored poster board. Cut out the tiara from the poster board.

4. Lay the tiara flat, with the colored side up. Let your child place the gems where she wants them to appear. Once she has laid out their gems, pull the self-stick tape from the back, lay the gems down, and press firmly. You can also use a hot glue gun to hold the gems in place. Allow time for the gems and glue to dry before fastening the ends together.

5. Fold the tiara around so the two ends come together. Avoid creasing the poster board. Tape the ends together, with one over the other. Try on the tiara to make sure it fits. If it isn't comfortable, adjust the ends until your child has a good fit.

Tips & Warnings

• Experiment with the gems to see what kinds of patterns you can make. For a different look, cut out pieces of poster board in the shape of crescent moons to make the tiara more three-dimensional. Use tape, rather than a stapler, to fasten the ends of the tiara. When the stapler malfunctions, staples can scratch the head. Try adding glitter for an individual look.