How To Decorate Graduation Cap Without Ruining It (8 Simple Ways!) (2024)

Trying to Decorate A Graduation Cap Without Ruining It Can Be Challenging, But Not Impossible!

If your graduation is coming up, you might be excited to start decorating your graduation cap!

It is a rite of passage and a way for you to express yourself on one of the most important days of your life.

Decorating your graduation cap allows you to let your personality shine through, and show what you have been through to make it to graduation, and what you plan to do going forward.

There are so many different ways that you could decorate your graduation cap, which is why it is a great way to make it your own.

However, you don’t want to do it wrong and be left with something you are not happy with.

Decorate Your Graduation Cap Without Ruining It

Work On Your Theme

Before you even attempt to start decorating your graduation cap, you need to plan and work on your theme.

This might take many pages of scrunched-up paper working on the design, and days trying to think of the themes and colors you want to use, but it will be worth the time.

Starting on your cap before knowing what you are actually going to do can only end in disaster, and you might end up ruining your cap by sticking things down, only to remove them when you aren’t happy with the way it looks.

Decide on quotes, colors, and mediums you want to use first. You might even end up deciding to go for a stick-on design to make it easier.

Your quote or theme could have to do with you and your friends, an inspirational quote, a religious quote, or even represent your sports team.

It is a completely personal choice, but just make sure to have it clearly outlined before getting started on the cap.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out this post for some amazing graduation cap ideas!

Don’t Overthink It

While you should put in some time and thought when deciding on what to put on your graduation cap, and how you want to decorate it, try to not overthink it.

If you put too much pressure on yourself you will become more frustrated with the process than just actually enjoying it.

You want to be proud of the outcome, not stressed that it isn’t exactly what you wanted. Follow your heart and just be natural with your expectations.

Overthinking the graduation cap decorations might lead to you having to start all over again because you aren’t happy with the outcome, and that is one sure way to ruin the cap!

Outline The Design First

It is a good idea to outline your graduation cap onto a piece of white paper, and then draw and decorate inside this outline to see what the end design will look like.

You might not be happy with the placement of a few things, or find that the letters don’t all fit in. Rather find out when you design this on a piece of paper than when everything is stuck down onto the graduation cap!

Have Your Supplies Ready

When you start working on your graduation cap, you need to make sure that you have all of your crafting supplies ready. You don’t want to be stuck halfway through decorating without your next bit of crafts.

It is also a great idea to have a spare graduation cap, just in case something goes wrong and you need backup.

Without one, you might not be able to buy a new one in time for graduation if you have ruined the first.

Some supplies to keep include:

• Hot glue gun
• Spare graduation cap
• Craft glue
• Acrylic paint
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Rhinestone stickers
• Alphabet stickers (for graduation caps)
• Fabric pen
• Craft knife

All the other supplies you might need will depend on exactly how you are decorating your graduation cap, so make sure you know exactly what you need before you get started.

Find A Good Spot To Work

You need to find a suitable area to decorate your graduation cap. This should be a clutter-free, clean area where you can clearly lay out the decorations and see what you are doing throughout.

To protect the surface, you should lay out some pieces of newspaper, especially if you are using paint and glitter. Layout your supplies so that they are all close by, for you to decorate easily.

You might have to leave the graduation cap to dry overnight, so make sure the area can be kept clear for your graduation cap to sit to dry undisturbed.

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Use The Spare Graduation Cap

To make sure that you do not ruin your graduation cap, you should cut out the spare graduation cap and decorate that.

To do this, you would measure the top of your cap, and cut out these measurements from the spare cap. This is what you will be decorating, and once you are happy with how it has turned out, you will stick this onto your graduation cap.

This ensures that your actual cap is kept clean and cannot be ruined.

Make Sure Everything Is Secured

In order to prevent your graduation cap from ruining before the big day, and to stop it from all falling apart, you need to make sure that everything is secured down.

Whether you are using alphabet stickers, glitter, rhinestones, or wooden letters, make sure that everything is secured down properly. If items start falling off, it could leave marks on the graduation cap, and it might be difficult to start sticking things back on again.

You also do not want your decorations falling off as you walk across the stage!

Frame Your Cap

To keep your graduation cap as a memory, you should frame it after graduation. You could either frame the whole cap or remove the top piece that you stuck down.

This stops the graduation cap from being ruined in the years to come, and serves as a great reminder of what you accomplished, and all the hard work you put in to get to where you are one day!

Our Picks For Decorating Your Graduation Cap

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