Graduating can be an amazing but stressful time. You are looking forward to the next step in your life –whatever it might be — and you are also sad that an era is ending. So, if you’re like me, you distract yourself with projects and don’t think of the countdown until the big day. One project I found fun was to decorate your graduation cap, personalizing it to express who you are. If you don’t want to work on it alone, get some friends together and make a party out of it!
Planning
The first step is always planning. This is your one and only graduation cap, so you don’t want to regret what you put on it as you’re securing it on your head. A lot of caps I’ve seen have themes or are inspired by interests. I’ve seen caps inspired by Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Pokémon, and Star Wars. You name it, and someone has done it. That’s not to say that whatever you choose would be unoriginal, but sometimes it’s a good way to gather ideas.
Some cap themes could be:
- Traveling
- Favorite quote
- Your graduating major
- Favorite interests
- Pictures and memories
Design and Supplies
Do you plan on painting or designing everything yourself? Or are you more comfortable with already-made letters and designs? I’ve seen some pretty interesting items used as supplies for a cap. Would you prefer to use old scrabble tiles to form a message or to use glitter glue to write it out yourself? Figuring out what you are going to do beforehand is crucial before sitting down to decorate your cap. You don’t want to start working on it and realize halfway through that you need to run to the store to get supplies. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would really slow down the process.
Supplies could include:
- Glitter glue
- Scrabble tiles
- Scrapbook stickers
- Paint
- Lace
Practice
You can always skip this step if you are confident, but I always find it better to practice on something first if you only have one medium to work on. Picture that you only have one copy of an important document you have to fill out; if you misspell a word or mix up a phrase, it is now permanent. It’s good to sketch out ideas and to figure out what works best on your cap.
Decorating
Now comes the actual decorating. You have your supplies in front of you, and all your friends have gathered for a fun time. Go crazy, have fun, and remember that while you are working on your project, you are also making memories with your friends. Don’t forget to take a picture of the final result and wear it with pride on graduation day.
Macey Lavoie is a senior graduating from Westfield State University, hoping all her risks were worth it. When she’s not having odd adventures with her crazy roommates, she is curled up with a book or jotting down writing ideas in her small notebook. Her goal is to take her love of writing and turn it into a full-blown career and to own her own personal library someday.
All pictures provided by Macey Lavoie