How to Make Decorative Birthday Hats

Homemade birthday hat designs are limited only by imagination.

Making decorative birthday hats can be an entertaining activity at a children's party. The kids can get creative and make their own personalized hats using only inexpensive and readily-available supplies. Recruit other adults to help children with instructions that may prove difficult for them, but allow children to take the lead in choosing their design or theme. Always provide safe materials such as non-toxic glue and rounded scissors.

Things You'll Need

• Card stock or construction paper
• Rounded scissors
• Non-toxic glue
• Staple gun
• Thin elastic
• Small colored pom-poms
• Hard candies
• Children's stickers
• Crayons
• Colored markers
• Beads and sequins
• Glitter
• Yarn and fringe
• Foam letters, numbers and shapes

Instructions

1. Cut a perfect square from a piece of newspaper. Experiment with sizes to accommodate your guests. You will need smaller pieces for toddlers, medium pieces for young children and large pieces if your guests are adults.

   Cut one piece of card stock or construction paper for each guest in the sizes needed. Cut three extra pieces in each size in case of mistakes.

2. Fold squares into a cone shape. Staple the overlap together near the top, middle and bottom of the cone to maintain shape. Use masking tape if you prefer, but make sure to cover the tape with decoration afterwards. Glue also works but will need time to dry.

3. Trim with scissors if necessary so that the hat will sit properly on the head. Staple a thin piece of elastic to each side of the bottom of the cone making sure to use enough to stretch and fit under the chin without snapping off.

4. Draw designs with markers and crayons. Glue on decorative objects. Staple or glue fringe to the bottom of the hat. Help children if necessary.

5. Cut sections of fabric the same size as the card stock for hat variations. Glue fabric to the card stock. Proceed with forming the cone shape. Staple, add elastic and decorate.

   Alternatively, paint the card stock with acrylic paint and brush. Let it dry. Brush on white glue diluted with a small amount of water. Let it dry. This technique gives added stability and glossiness to hats.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover card stock with newspaper comics for more variation, or cut out photographs and pictures from newspapers and magazines. Glue them onto hats, or encourage children to cut and paste them during hat-making activity.

• Use colorful ribbon in place of elastic to tie on hats. Punch a hole about 1/2 inch from the bottom on each side of the hat. Cut two lengths of ribbon about 10 to 12 inches for each hat. Thread one end of each length through a hole and tie a knot.

• Never allow young children to use staplers. Staple their hats for them to avoid injury.

References

• Birthday Party Resource: Birthday Party Hats
• Creative Kids At Home: Activities/Activity 9