How to Decorate a Party Cap

Decorate your own party cap instead of buying one from a store.

Store-bought party hats brighten any occasion, especially birthday celebrations. You can make the festivities even more interactive by inviting guests to decorate their own party caps. The activity encourages guests to express their creativity and individuality, and it gives them a trinket to take home with them. If you prefer, you can create the hats beforehand so guest can enjoy them upon arrival. You can also decorate a special party-themed hat just for the birthday boy or girl.

Things You'll Need

• Protective goggles
• Protective gloves
• Spray paint
• Hot glue gun
• Buttons, beads, rhinestones
• Puff paint
• Fabric swatches, coins, guitar picks, feathers
• Distinctive items: pom-poms, action figures, teacups

Instructions

1. Take the cap outside and put on protective gloves and goggles. Spray paint the party cap the color that you would like it to be. Allow it to dry.

2. Hot glue buttons, beads, or rhinestones or a combination of all three all along the border of the cap. You can cover entire sections of the hat's surface area with these shiny objects also.

3. Write the person's name somewhere on the surface of the hat in puff paint. Allow it to dry. Glue on textured items to the remaining surface of your hat, such as swatches of different fabric, coins, feathers, guitar picks or whatever inspires you.

4. Glue something distinctive to the top of your hat with a hot glue gun. For example, for a traditional cone-shaped party hat, glue a pom-pom or a cluster of feathers. If you want to make a different and exciting hat, you can glue an action figure, a bird or a small teacup to the top. Your options are endless.Whatever you choose, be sure it isn't anything too heavy.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're decorating caps as a party activity, provide guests with blank, unadorned caps so they can immediately begin decorating. Pick hats that guests will be excited to decorate. For example, for an all-girls party, you could provide plain tea hats. For an all-boys party, you could have plain baseball caps.

References

• Creative Kids at Home: Paper Party Hats
• Celebrations: Tea Party Hat Decorating
• Garden Party Teas: Tea Party Hat Decorating Ideas
• Family Fun Go: A Honey of a Hat

Resources

• Boardman Web: Pirate Party