Graduation_cap_decor_tips
Images by Deeana Kourtney Photography

Graduation season is upon us! I think one of the most exciting things about graduation is decorating your graduation cap. My high school didn't allow us to decorate our caps, so I was especially excited this year when I got to decorate my college graduation cap. Also, think my parents will appreciate the fact that they can easily spot their daughter in a sea of green during graduation. Whether you're about to be a high school graduate or college graduate, I wanted to share some tips I learned along the way when decorating my cap to help make the process a little easier for you. So, let's get started now, shall we?


1. Come up with a plan!
Brainstorm potential cap ideas and start thinking about what you want to put on it. Pinterest is SO helpful for getting some ideas. You can check out my "College Life" Pinterest board for some graduation cap ideas! 

Write down some things you'd like to incorporate on your cap such as your major, any organizations you're a part of, your favorite color, quote, etc. What kind of story do you want to tell? This will help with the brainstorming process. 

2. Sketch it out
Let's face it, almost everything looks better in our heads than it does in real life. Sketch out your idea and start mapping out how you want your cap to look. This will also be helpful for when you go pick up your supplies. You'll be able to save time and money once you have your game plan mapped out.

3. Gather your supplies! 
Now that you have your game plan set, time to gather all of your supplies. Hobby Lobby or Michaels is always my go-to. Plus, if you just Google "Hobby Lobby coupon" you can almost always find a 40% off coupon to use it towards an item!

Here are sometimes I have for when choosing your supplies:

Cardstock all the way - card stock is great if you want a different colored background or a sturdier piece to glue all of your decorations on. Michaels and Hobby Lobby sell a ton of different card stock options for you to choose from and for super cheap! The only thing with cardstock is that you have to keep in mind to cut out a little hole for your tassel

Check the scrapbook aisle - the scrapbook aisle is filled with stickers, letters, and embellishments that would make great additions to a graduation cap. I do recommend hot gluing stickers down to make sure they don't pop off.

Can't paint? Print! - Let's face it, not all of us are Van Goghs or Picassos. If you have a print that you absolutely love (ie Lilly Pulitzer!) you can print it off and mod podge it on your cap. It's a great alternative to having your print on your cap without stressing overpainting it on.


Lilly_pulitzer_graduation_cap


Side note on the Lilly Pulitzer print: Cut out Lilly prints from an old Lilly planner! I actually got two of my Lilly prints from an old Lilly agenda and glued them on my cap. Even though I do have to admit that it was sad cutting it out of my agenda, I know that I'm probably not ever going to look back at my old agendas again. 

Also, if you plan on using pearls like I did, I HIGHLY suggest finding strands of pearls or pearl stickers that are linked together. This will save you a TON of time and your pearls will look a lot better. I spend so much time individually gluing down each pearl and low key wished I looked for a single strand.

4. Lay it all out
Now that you have all of your supplies, lay out a rough draft of what you would want your design to look like before you start gluing everything down. Nothing's worse than starting off right away and realizing halfway through your design isn't what you want it to be. Also, BE SURE YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE THE FRONT OF THE CAP IS. You'll thank me later when you avoid walking across the stage on graduation with your cap on backward. 

5. Glue it all down!
Hot glue will be your best friend throughout this entire process. I mean, it dries super fast and for the most part, it'll guarantee that your decorations will stay intact. Be sure to get enough glue sticks to last you throughout your decorating process because I definitely ran out halfway!

6. Sport it and snap
Now that your masterpiece is completed, put that sucker on and show off your hard work! Also, be sure to take a ton of pics. I mean, did it really happen if you didn't take pictures of it? 


Graduation_cap_idea


And those are my tips! I hope you all found this helpful and picked up on some tips to use when decorating your graduation cap. Let me know down below if you're graduating this year and if you plan on decorating your cap! I hope you all have a wonderful day and if you are graduating this year, congrats! Cheers to the class of 2017!!

xoxo,
Amy

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